I’m so excited to host Sara Ramsey on the blog today — Sara is a full on blast, and we’ve had some great meals and great gossip sessions and great laughs in the few years since we met for the first time! And I am really enjoying her Muses of Mayfair series (and their titles!), which began with Heiress Without a Cause and continues with Scotsmen Prefer Blondes.
When I started Girls Who Wear Glasses month, I just knew that she would pick someone awesome for the blog…and I was right! Not only has she chosen one of the most iconic, important, downright idolotry-worthy women of our time…I cackled with glee when I saw the image she attached to her email–what a fabulous choice!
Welcome, Sara!
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I freaking love Meryl Streep. She’s not only an amazing talent, but she’s also someone I can picture having a conversation with over a bottle of wine. And I deeply admire how she’s built her career in an industry that values female youth.
I also adore that she wears glasses so often. One of Meryl’s most iconic glasses-wearing roles is Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. Her glasses are part of her powerful, highly-driven image – they’re sharp and vaguely sexy, and she often uses them as a prop to express her disapproval.
By contrast, the glasses she wears when giving acceptance speeches in real life are more blunt and squared-off, still lovely but a bit more utilitarian. They’re the glasses of a woman who accepts that she needs them and doesn’t care about anyone else’s approval.
Technically, I’m a girl who wears glasses. But unlike Meryl, I don’t quite embrace them. When I wear glasses, I feel like I’ve just stumbled out of bed (sadly, not in a sexy way). I still feel prettier when I wear my contacts – and I wear them for sixteen hours a day, when I should probably give my eyes a break.
I don’t like divulging this insecurity. It’s almost like I’ve failed as a woman, since I should be evolved enough that such stupidly superficial things don’t matter. But Meryl and all the other amazing women who wear glasses are a huge inspiration to me – not just for little things like being comfortable in glasses, but for big things, like succeeding in male-dominated industries or persevering even when it seems that the roles (or book contracts) have dried up.
The bottom line is that Meryl Streep inspires me to live a fuller, more dedicated creative life. Being a writer requires you to be vulnerable enough to bleed yourself onto the page – and impervious enough to withstand rejection and criticism. This is all so much easier if you have enough confidence in yourself to wear your glasses to the grocery store without feeling like a freak. My goal is to be more like Meryl, and to choose hard, interesting projects (with the occasional “Mamma Mia!” thrown in for fun). And a small but important step on that journey is to own my glasses-hood.
So, thanks to Sarah MacLean for giving me the chance to think about this – and thanks to all you other hot glasses-wearing ladies for rocking out with such confidence!
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All hail Meryl and her awesome!
And all hail Sara and her awesome! I love this blog post because it shows just how much the little things count in our day to day lives. As Sara’s friend, I can say with 100% conviction that she has in no way failed as a woman — she’s beautiful and smart and talented…and that’s a full-on win!
Your turn, readers…let’s stare insecurity down!
Tell Sara and me what your best feature is, and we’ll give one lucky commenter (US Only), a copy of her latest, Scotsmen Prefer Blondes!
February 24th, 2013 at 10:24 am
Naturally curly hair. Embraced it.
February 24th, 2013 at 1:01 pm
Oh, and I assure you, Denise, women everywhere are jealous of those curls!
February 24th, 2013 at 2:57 pm
Denise, as a girl who spent half her high school life playing with hot rollers, I am exceedingly envious :)
February 24th, 2013 at 10:30 am
Dark brown eyes.. one exboyfriend compared them to lovely cow eyes… he didn’t last long… now had the comparison been to doe eyes…he would have stayed a bit longer..
February 24th, 2013 at 1:00 pm
LOL! My uncle used to say I had cow eyes, too, Cate. I think it was supposed to be a compliment…but… :)
February 24th, 2013 at 2:59 pm
Ah, men and their inability to come up with the right metaphor :) It’s hard to get over the wrong compliment, even if it’s meant in the right way!
February 24th, 2013 at 10:33 am
My best feature are my eyes, behind my completely awesome glasses of course! My specs are chosen to be different, funky, colorful, and of course right there for all to see. Why hide behind boring or barely there. I need glasses so choose ones to frame my brown eyes. Thanks again Sarah for this blog that brings some wonderful authors. I haven’t read any of Sara Ramseys books but plan on it.
February 24th, 2013 at 1:00 pm
Eyes are the window to the soul, Randi…so I’m not surprised they’re your choice!
February 24th, 2013 at 3:00 pm
Randi, thanks for the comment! After this post, I’m determined to get some funkier glasses and wear them with pride :)
February 24th, 2013 at 10:46 am
Everyone in my family would say my cheeks are my best feature, they are the ones great-aunts just love to pinch (seriously!), but I like my eyes. I wear glasses, never contacts (a whole anything-close-to-my-eyes phobia prevents that and eye make-up!), and I like that my glasses draw attention to my eyes. Although picking out glasses that won’t run into my pinch-able cheeks is sometimes a problem.
February 24th, 2013 at 12:59 pm
I’ve got those big pinchable cheeks, too, Nikki! I was like a chipmunk growing up!
So many ladies with great eyes on the blog today!
February 24th, 2013 at 3:02 pm
Luckily I don’t have a ‘anything near my eyes’ phobia – although, oddly enough, I told my parents that they should donate any/all of my organs except for my corneas. Strange, I know…but maybe, just in case the Greeks had it right, I don’t want to wander around the afterlife without my eyes? But in *this* life, I’m quite happy sticking contacts in my eyes on a daily basis :)
February 24th, 2013 at 11:18 am
My best feature I think are my very straight, very white teeth. I’m fortunate I don’t have to have them professionally whitened; they’re just naturally that way. Thanks, Mom & Dad, for the braces! :)
February 24th, 2013 at 12:56 pm
I thank my mom and dad for braces all the time, Maria! And naturally white? A great feature!
February 24th, 2013 at 3:03 pm
Naturally white? That’s amazing. If mine were ever naturally white, that was in some short span of time before I started living on tea and coffee :)
February 24th, 2013 at 11:42 am
Sad to say it’s my eyes.When I was a teenager I was told I was told I had bedroom eye’s. Whatever that is.I also have long eye lashes.My boy’s got my eye lashes.
February 24th, 2013 at 12:54 pm
“Sad to say?” Bedroom eyes are a gift! And long eyelashes make them all the prettier! Thanks, Debbie!
February 24th, 2013 at 3:04 pm
Bedroom eyes sound so sultry. I have long lashes, but my brother beat me in that department…his are so long that strangers assumed he was a girl for most of his childhood. Those are seriously a gift!
February 24th, 2013 at 12:21 pm
A strong sense of loyalty…oh, wait…you mean physical feature? Ok, then, I’ll join today’s crowd then and say eyes. Really, it’s the long, dark eyelashes that run in the family that make my eyes look nice.
February 24th, 2013 at 12:54 pm
Loyalty is a good one LSU — and one of the best possible features for someone to have! (And long eyelashes are a bonus!)
February 24th, 2013 at 3:06 pm
Ha, thanks for reminding us that eyes aren’t everything :) It is amazing to me how many women are saying that their eyes are their best feature. It’s what I would say too, but it makes me wonder – are we saying it because the eyes are windows to the soul, part of our personality, and all that? Or is it easier to ‘own’ than, say, your hips? (which are assuredly not my best feature, but you get my point :)
February 24th, 2013 at 12:49 pm
My best feature has always been my hair. I was so lucky growing up in the 60′s. It was so easy to fix my hair in the style of the day. Alas… nothing lasts forever though. At 65 my hair is salt and pepper and thinning! Although still easy to style.
February 24th, 2013 at 12:53 pm
Love that, Betty! Salt & Pepper is gorgeous!
February 24th, 2013 at 3:09 pm
Those ’60s styles I’ve seen are so cool. But my problem is that I have absolutely no ability to style my hair – so I think I’m destined to have this same style until I die (with increasing salt and pepper along the way :).
February 24th, 2013 at 1:08 pm
My eyes, when my makeup is right hey look almost turquoise
February 24th, 2013 at 3:09 pm
Ooh – turquoise! Sheila, that’s such an amazing color for eyes. Thanks for the comment!
February 24th, 2013 at 1:48 pm
Great choice! I adore Meryl Streep. I think she’d be so much fun to hang out with.
People tell me it’s my smile but the feature I’m most happy about these days is my hair. I decided last spring that I would stop coloring and embrace whatever the natural color hiding beneath the dye may be. Turns out it’s a gorgeous silver gray. These days, I’m rockin’ a new decade with silver hair, sexy glasses and a huge smile.
February 24th, 2013 at 3:11 pm
Silver hair, sexy glasses…sounds a lot like Meryl. I agree she’d be so much fun to hang out with, and such a big part of that is confidence. It sounds like you have it in spades – good for you! When my hair is all silver, I fully intend to rock it :)
February 24th, 2013 at 2:11 pm
This actually took me a minute because there isn’t much that I’m fond of ;) but I do happen to like my nose – it’s a bit turned up at the end but it’s cute and the perfect size for my little diamond stud piercing!
February 24th, 2013 at 3:12 pm
Amber, I have always been tempted by nose piercings – a cute little diamond stud is exactly what I would go for!
February 24th, 2013 at 2:46 pm
My eyes are all at once my best feature and my worst. My best because they’re a very pretty blue and I get comments on them quite often. My worst because I have very bad eyesight and have worn glasses since I was nine. I’ve worn contacts for a long time, but since I’ve gotten older, I now have to wear reading glasses as well. I just can’t get away from those pesky glasses. :D
February 24th, 2013 at 3:14 pm
Barbara, thanks for the comment :) Might as well embrace the glasses, right? Nikki’s comment earlier got me to thinking I should find frames that enhance my eyes (which are bright green) rather than hiding them. Maybe you can find some reading glasses that bring out the blue?
February 24th, 2013 at 3:05 pm
I don’t know what my best features are sadly. I would say my hair because they aren’t curly or straight just friz waves but I suppose it will do.
February 24th, 2013 at 3:15 pm
Ki, I am usually stumped on this question too. What I can see of your hair in your avatar photo looks awesome, if that’s any consolation :)
February 24th, 2013 at 4:01 pm
my hair, I’m 52 and it’s still it’s natural color, very little grey, it’s thick and healthy. (would love a great new haircut, but not so trustworthy to the stylists’ in my area.
February 25th, 2013 at 12:41 am
Jennifer, finding a great stylist is so hard – I mostly kept my hair the same cut for years just to avoid the question :) Now that I have bangs, I live in fear of having to move away from the only woman who seems to get them right!
February 24th, 2013 at 5:22 pm
I guess it would either be my eyes or my hair. Everyone has always complimented me on my hair (and always wanted to touch it, which I don’t like unless I am very close to the person). My hair is very thick, soft, has a lot of body, etc.
February 25th, 2013 at 12:42 am
You must have amazing hair if strangers want to touch it – but I wouldn’t be comfortable with that either!
February 24th, 2013 at 6:23 pm
my smile
February 24th, 2013 at 8:55 pm
I’d have to say my eyes. My hair is auburn and my eyes are the same color. I’m always being told it’s quite unusual that I don’t have green or blue eyes with auburn hair. I guess I have my mother to thank since I look like her. :)
February 25th, 2013 at 12:45 am
Marcy, that sounds like a lovely combo! I don’t think I’ve quite seen it anywhere, but it sounds amazing. Good work, Mom :)
February 24th, 2013 at 9:32 pm
Hi Sarah and Sara!
I loved the picture of Meryl Streep from The Devil Wears Prada but I thought her best picture where she wore glasses was her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady.
I think my best feature is my determination – but then I live in an otherwise all male household and since I’m very, very short and my husband and sons are all tall it’s necessary to make them realize that I’m actually the one that determines if they eat a great dinner or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner! Believe me it’s a great treat to keep them in control!
I must admit that sometimes I have to stand on the 2nd or third step on the stairs and stare down at them to get my point across but a girl has to do what a girl has to do to be in charge!
Of course now that my sons are grown and gone it’s become easier since all my grandchildren are currently shorter than I am but I know the day will come when I’m looking up, instead of down, on them as well!
February 25th, 2013 at 12:46 am
Hi Jeanne! I know how you feel – unlike Sarah, I’m quite short as well (4’11.5″), and it does take a lot of determination to get my point across. One of the biggest compliments I get (for my ego, at least) is that people don’t think I’m as short as I really am – must be all that determination :) Thanks for the comment!
February 24th, 2013 at 11:55 pm
My hair is my best feature.
February 25th, 2013 at 6:02 am
Also being a child of the 60′s I dd my part by ironing my hair to keep it completely straight. :)But I can only think my hair is my best feature.
Love Meryl Streep. She keeps it real.
Carol L
February 25th, 2013 at 6:39 am
I my humour and personality not that I’m not ok looking but I think that’s what draws people to me.
February 25th, 2013 at 7:39 am
I have to say it would by my green eyes, I always get compliments on them. I loved the post by the way.
February 25th, 2013 at 3:16 pm
I think my best feature is my naturally wavy hair. It used to be frizzy, but that’s mostly because I used so much product to keep it straight! Now it’s mostly in its natural state – and I love it!