Hi everyone! This is the last in my Feature Friday series of guestposts and whilst on one hand I feel quite sad that I won't have anymore to share with you, on the other, I really couldn't ask for a better post with which to bring this series to close. 

Tonight's post is courtesy of Avon, who blogs at Spider's Filthy Assistant. Out of all the guestposts, it's the one that's resonated with me the most; probably because if, when the idea for this series first came to me, you had asked me about the women that personally inspire me, I would have named Sarah Michelle Gellar and Milla Jovovich. However, as the series has progressed, what I've realised, and feel very strongly about, is that inspirational women are all around us. And that includes me and you. 

You probably have no idea of the impact you have on the lives of those around you but you do, so don't be afraid to embrace who you are. Be true to yourself and live your life with integrity.

Now over to Avon ...

When I first offered/asked to write this guest post I thought it would be so easy to think of some strong, fabulous, notable women who like totally inspire me, but that wasn't actually the case.

If you'd asked me about ten years ago I'd probably have said Frida Kahlo and Vivienne Westwood. Kahlo spent her life in considerable physical and emotional pain (thanks to a serious bus accident and a seriously messy love life) but produced such beautiful, powerful work and was so sure in her self. So confident. One of my mum's friends gave me her biography when I was about 16 and I devoured it. Vivienne Westwood was just so damn cool, you know. So creative and, again, so self-assured.

But I'm aware now that I wanted to be these women, not be like them. It was aspirational not inspirational. And it generally still is when I admire or envy someone in the public eye.

One of my favourite Grand Designs episodes is the one where the young interior designer builds a gorgeous Scandi style house in Cornwall. But it actually makes me feel worse about my life because what have I done? She's got a boyfriend who loves her and she's super talented and successful and then she builds this house that I would love to live in and does it under budget. No one is ever under budget on Grand Designs! In comparison, what have I done? Nothing much.

The women who truly inspire me are the women I know. My Mum who brought up two kids on her own. My aunt who has travelled extensively and who still works all over the world. My Grandma who was a city councillor in her retirement and only stopped last year, at the age of 85, because her body rebelled. My friend who is completely winning in her fight against agoraphobia and for whom every trip out of the house is a victory. Every single one of my peers who works a couple of shitty jobs to simply survive in this cruel economic climate.

It's so easy to get caught in hero worship and a little bit of lifestyle envy. Sure, Caitlin Moran is great and Lauren Laverne seems to have a perfect life and Angelina Jolie is powerfully self-assured. But the women you should truly be inspired by are the ones with the quiet, everyday successes. The woman who lives on your street in a shitty bedsit because she's finally had the courage to leave her abusive husband. The girl you see at the gym who works two jobs to pay for her degree. Your best friend who has sat through every single breakup you've had without complaint but always with wine. These are the women who should be inspiring you. Because, to me, the quiet, everyday successes are the truly inspirational ones.

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"I'm Avon, I'm 27 and I live in glorious Edinburgh. I have a cat called Selina, too many books, black & white hair and a (probably unhealthy) obsession with post-it notes and the colour grey. I can normally be found tweeting a lot of nonsense at @avonwy".

 

Welcome to my third Feature Friday.

Charlotte, who blogs at the Distressed Housewife, has written today's guest post and I'm really pleased she agreed to do so. I first got to know her through twitter, as she had a knack for appearing with words of wisdom and comfort whenever I was in a bad place, and from there, I discovered her blog and realised she has a way of writing, full of honesty and humour, that I can really connect with.

I think Charlotte's post, like Jodie's (Happy Birthday Mum), reinforces that being an inspiration isn't reserved for those who have big dreams, grand adventures and lots of money. You can inspire someone simply by spending time together, doing "simple" "everyday" things and building memories. I really think that's an important message for us all to remember.

Now over to Charlotte ...

My Gran Is a Hell of a Woman   

My ninety-one year old Gran is a hell of a woman and I love her to bits. When I was

Younger, she taught me how to bake and delicious smells always wafted from her kitchen.  

Gran's was the place to go for amazing home-cooked food, the spinning armchair and a  

Roaring fire...whatever the time of year. When we stayed overnight, my brother, cousin and I  

All slept in the same room as my Gran and Grandad, my cousin and I top-to-toeing in our cosy camp-bed.

Never one to complain, my Gran would work tirelessly, cooking and cleaning the house until  

It was spotless. She saved me word searches from the newspaper and came to every 

Sports Day, cheering us on from the side-lines. I could chat to Gran about anything and she was,  

And still is, brutally honest but very fair. I used to go down town with her every week and  

Help her with her shopping; she introduced me to all her friends as her 'little helper' and  

Everyone knew and liked her. We would walk round shops and markets, my Gran willing her arthritic  

Legs to go faster but always staying cheerful and positive. They took the three of us on holiday to  

Little family-run B&Bs in Blackpool and Morecambe and we'd walk along the promenade or take a ride  

On a tram, always with a tasty treat in our hands. My Gran and Grandad took us on picnics,  

For paddles in the river, for country walks. We've sat playing Dominoes, she taught me how to knit, she was

Always there for me. I've sat crying with laughter with my Gran, like the time she patched my uncle's old jeans...  

With a patch accidentally cut from his new ones. My Gran has a wicked sense of humour and a surprisingly

Open mind for someone of her generation. My Dad tells the tale of when she used to work in a  

Munitions factory and resigned when they started making parts for guns because it went against her principles. She's  

A hell of a woman, my Gran. She's weaker now; she's lost her lust for life and wants to die. When she does, I know I'll  

Never forget her. My husband says I'm like her. I hope so. If I'm even half the woman she is, I'll count myself lucky. 

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It's a cliché but being a mum is the best thing I ever did and my greatest achievement.  My children make me laugh, drive me to distraction and melt my heart into a puddle of goo every day.

Charlotte, aka the Distressed Housewife, is an ex-English teacher, freelance writer, blogger, wife, mum of three boys (8, 4 and 2), lover of exercise, wine, films, reading and music (not necessarily in that order). She has a sarcastic, quite wicked sense of humour which is (hopefully) conveyed through her blog.  She loves to laugh and socialise, walk the dog (preferably on her own) and go out for lovely meals (preferably without the children) ;)

To find out more about Charlotte, you can:

• Visit her blog
• Follow her on twitter @distressedhwife
• Like her Facebook page
• Follow her on Pinterest

Welcome to my second Feature Friday in which I have the pleasure of reblogging this post which originally appeared on A Quirky Kook last year. Jodie, who writes that blog, asked me if I felt it would fit in with the theme of my new series and after reading it, I jumped at the chance to include it.

When you become a mum, I think it's so easy to get a bit lost in the daily grind of life, in trying not to be "just a mum", and in trying to do the best possible job you can. What this post reminds me is that actually it's the simple things that I do with my children, in the moment and with sincerity, that they will build their memories on. And that knowledge helps me to relax and to just enjoy being with them.

Now over to Jodie ...

Being a mother is a thankless task and I know that because I have a mother and I've never really said thank you to her at all.

I've said thank you for the little things of course, for daily interactions and presents and the unexpected good things that mothers do for you when you least expect it. Of course I have because, well, she brought me up to. Obviously.

But what I haven't thanked her for is making me the person I am. And even though she might roll her eyes and wonder where she went wrong, I think she did a damn fine job to be honest. My mum gave and taught me many things, and not all of them were intentional.

26.12.1963 - Mum and Dad's wedding day

She gave me my love of music. When I was young the little black discs of Elvis Presley and Cliff Richard that she had collected as a teenager were little gems of happiness and to be allowed to play them on the Dansette record player was an honour and a treat. Dancing? She gave me an appreciation and joy for that too. And it wasn't taking me to Janice Reagan's ballet class for the under fours oh no, but the family parties where my mum and dad would do the jive. They used to clear the dance floor, but only because everyone wanted to watch.

It was my mum who gave me my appreciation of writing and my love of books. She taught me to read before I went to school and later had the foresight to work in a library thereby opened up a whole world where every single book I might ever want to read was obtainable and reachable and, shh, you never had to pay a fine.

And she gave me her suede mini-skirt. A genuine sixties patchwork suede mini-skirt that I wore when I was a student in the early eighties and for that, for reasons manifold and best not explained, I owe her and for my love of vintage fashion and *waits for Mother to roll her eyes again* mini-skirts.

She gave me my appreciation of the family that made me and the history we share. She taught me about loyalty and strength. She taught me, probably without noticing, everything there is to know about love. 

She even taught me that it doesn't matter how many times you've been seen swaying down the street singing after a dinner dance OR fallen over in improbable platforms in a Devon car-park after some Scrumpy OR worn a mini-skirt that is LITTLE MORE THAN A BELT, you can still claim the moral high-ground when your own children do similar. 

*Raises eyebrows at Mother*

Anyway, for ALL of that, I thank her. Deeply and very much.

Happy 70th birthday Mum x
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Jodie Hawkins has been blogging at A Quirky Kook for the past two years. She's a work at home mum (freelance journalist and copywriter) and has four children, twin girls aged 17, an 11-year-old girl and a seven-year old boy. Jodie is married to a musician and they all live in chaos, as well as in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. Her specialist subject is drinking wine, and lots of it. She blogs about life, family and family life. Jodie can be found on Twitter @jodiekins22

A little late in the day but I am so pleased to kick off my new series, Feature Friday, with this guestpost from a lovely lady, Sarah, that I have had the pleasure of getting to know via the power of twitter. I hope you enjoy this and it helps you to remember you should never underestimate the impact that you have on the lives of those around you.

Over to Sarah ...

Throughout my life I have had a few role models including my mum, friends, artists, authors, sportswomen and bosses. One in particular was an amazing woman, Beryl Markham, who was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic (east to west). She was raised in Africa and forged an incredible life for herself. Beryl wrote an autobiography about her life called West with the Night. It is a wonderful book and opened my eyes to the world.

Although Beryl is one of my role models, I am not writing about her. It is the person who introduced me to her, my friend, Liana. She lent me this book nearly 20 years ago and it remains on my bookshelf today. We went to high school and college together in Tasmania and then went off to different universities. Thankfully our friendship wasn't one of incessant need and although some years we hardly saw each other, we always picked up right from where we left off.

Liana was a very intelligent woman, who was becoming a very talented research scientist. After university we both lived in Melbourne and shared a house for a time. Her dedication to work was incredible and her achievements were great. However, she had such humility along with a wicked sense of humour. She was a true friend and was always there if she was needed, her loyalty to her friends never wavered. Liana also had a fantastic mother and they were very close. She caught the travel bug after they both toured Vietnam together.

As is the case with some brilliant minds, her thoughts were always busy and daily routines like dusting were never considered - well why should it? Life could offer so many possibilities and she sought them out.

Then Liana was tragically killed in a motorway accident at only 25 years of age.

I will never be able to explain what I went through for the first few months following this. Then one day I broke and after hours of feeling my heart being ripped apart, I realised she would be screaming at me cut it out and get up. To go out to explore life and the world, as she had started doing before she died. I had to carry on where she left off and not waste the opportunities that might be out there for me. Within a couple of months I had packed up and boarded a plane.

I have been backpacking through Asia, seen a bit of Europe and worked in England and Ireland. The biggest moment of my life was meeting my English husband, now affectionately known as The Possum. We may never have met if I had not listened to Liana ticking me off.

Liana is still my guide through life and my moral compass. I have been through some pretty tough times since then but I just remind myself of her. It took a long time to absorb and accept the fact she was no longer with me but when I did, I could finally make her part of me and use her as my inner strength.

Seeing the guidelines of this invitation for a guest blog made me really think about who I could write about. After a few false starts writing about others I realised that a role model doesn't need to be someone who has lived long and experienced everything in life - it is someone who has shone brightly and brilliantly to others, making us want to follow in their footsteps. I just hope that I have made her proud by doing just that.

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Sarah is a Tasmanian who, having skipped across the globe and found love in Lancashire, is currently dragging her English husband back to the land of Oz. She's an Event Manager who loves traditional archery, photography and being in the great outdoors whenever possible. Her next ambition is to teach herself knitting and crochet design and to hopefully pass these skills onto the younger generation.

You can find out more about Sarah, and nag her into starting her own blog, by tweeting her ... frequently!

I've been struggling with what to write this week, as the hot weather has really wiped me out and all I want to do is moan, moan, moan, but let's face it - no-one wants to hear that!

Fortunately, I read this post by one of my most very favourite bloggers, Liz at Margot and Barbara. The first in a weekly series, Liz explains why she decided to introduce this feature and what she hopes to achieve from it:

Three Good Things is inspired by ongoing conversations I have with friends and from re-reading sections of The Happiness Project. It’s about focussing on what I do have in my life, instead of what I don’t have.

Each week, I shall choose three things to share. Things that have made me happy, made me smile, brought me a bit of joy or peace and made me grateful for the life that I have.

I can totally see how Three Good Things will help you to focus on the best bits of your week and that's something I need right now. Also, how cool is Liz's strawberries photo?!


Here are mine:

One

Somebody asked me what my favourite food is today. My answer? Pudding!

And this particular icecream was perfect to cool me down! So good in fact that I savoured it over 2 nights rather than scarffling it down in one go!

Now that is an achievement for me!

Two

My new feature starts this week - tomorrow in fact! Remember when I called for guest posts? Well, I'm really excited about sharing the inspirational women you've been telling me about. I'm hoping it will be an uplifting celebration of womankind and a reminder that inspiration can come from anyone, anywhere.

Three

After featuring Redemption by Erica Hayes in my Teaser Tuesday post, I was gobsmacked when Erica herself tweeted me to say thank you!

 This is why I love twitter! Totally put a smile on my face!

For more Three Good Things posts, why not pop along and read:

Espresso Coco

Hello Kirsty

Leeds & Me

Lady Lugosi

Spider's Filthy Assistant

And if you join in, don't forget to let Liz know in the comments section of her Three Good Things post.

The 50 Most Inspirational Quotes For Women Of All Time

It's been a while since I've run a themed series of posts on my blog and I'm liking the idea of spending some time focusing on who our personal "A Hell Of A Woman" is and why. I think it will be really interesting to read about the women that inspire us and I'd like it to feel like a celebration of womankind.

The only rules I have are as follows:

• You must write about a female role model
• Fictional characters are included
• You must explain why that person is your role model

I'm happy to accept serious and light-hearted posts; just write from your heart and in your own personal style.

If you're interested in getting involved then please get in touch in one of the following ways:

• Leave a comment
• Tweet me 
• Send me an email to ahellofawoman [at] gmail [dot] com