It's a man's world....

'But it would mean nothing without a woman or a girl.'

Is that really true? Even in today's modern world there are still professions where men still dominate and women find it hard to break the glass ceiling. At work we have a blog from a female soldier and it is refreshing to hear this side of the story from a very strong woman living what is traditional seen as a mans world.

I am reading a book at the moment called 'The Best of Everything' by Rona Jaffe when it came out in 1958 it caused an up roar and people thought it was obscene. It is about four women in New York who work for a publishers trying to get ahead through merit rather than through sleeping with bosses.

It shows how women had jobs in typing pools just as a midway point before they got married and did their real job of house wife. I think many man still wish it was that way, as it certainly was easier...for them anyway.

The gender divides are also seen in 'Mad Men' and 'The Hour' where woman have to be very masculine or very sexual to get far in their career. Although you like to think that the world is equal in terms men and women I think the reality is very different.

I have read things about The City and it seems this is very  testosterone filled, and women have to compete with men on their level to get promotions. It is just sad that many people have to be who they aren't just to get on in the world.

I think there is a fear sometimes with women that if promoted they will go off and have babies and leave the company in the lurch.

Working in the journalism world I am worried that to get ahead I have to forget my gender and act like someone I'm not to get ahead.

You think that in a modern world is there such things as a male job and a female job, you would like to say no but you know that isn't the case. My boyfriend is to train as a nurse, and as brilliant as that is, it is hard as you do know that some people just think about Gaylord Focker in Meet the Parents. But shouldn't people do the job they want no matter if they are male or female?

I would like to think so, and hope many people can break through the barriers and do what they want without having to try and be someone else.

Coming up....

I have a couple of posts waiting in the wings to delight and entertain.

My job is going well, news galore.

Recently I went away to Cornwall, so once I can a post will be uploading about that.

In a couple of weeks I will be off to Greece, sunning it up and chilling out, maxing. Afterwards, I will share my experince out there.

Not much else really.

Take care and keep checking back for new posts.

Chanel - "Imitation if the highest form of flattery."

Coco Chanel once said "Imitation is the highest form of flattery."

However, I don't think many other designers would share this idea.

I love bags and shoes, and quite often I fall head over heels in love with designers items that I cannot afford but wish I could. In those times I look to the high street as more often than not they produce the bags that make you happy as they are the quality of designers at more affordable prices.

The Chloe Marcie bag, soft leather piping on the front and tassels, for the small hobo bag it is £845, I bought a very close looking bag by Fiorelli for £29.99, it should have been £65 ohthe joy of TKMaxx. It is even nicer than Chloe if I can be so brave as to say that, but as a Fiorelli bag it is still a good quality bag at a fraction of the price.

The Alexa Mulberry my lust after bag. I walk past that shop that proudly displays them in the window and it makes my heart flip, sad but true. Those bags are about £695 for the small version. I bought one from Next £30, just as gorgeous, it has everything I like about the Alexa.

Now when I talk about imitation I am not talking about those knock off bags you get. Not bags that are pretending to be designer but those that share the same characteristics but that people can kind of tell isn't the real thing. Not the bag that people are second guessing because that kind of imitation I don't think is all that great. Bags that look like it great, bags pretending to be it...not great. 

I suppose it is the same with shoes. Nearly every woman I would think wants a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes, a pair of patent Mary Jane's with a flash of scarlett sole, you are in New Look and you see a pair exactly the same even down to the red sole. However, much you want the patent MJs there is something different about owning a pair of Louboutins, there is a classiness and elegance that owes to owning a pair.

I just think that owning an imitation that is trying desperately to be the real thing is lacking, as something that looks like it is great as it is flattery but something that is trying to be it is a little sad. Well that is what I think anyway.

I do think Chanel is on to something as it is a compliment as if people like it enough to want  a piece of it, it shows that the designer is doing something right.

How easy is it to become a domestic goddess?

I like the idea of being able to cook. In my relationship I am not the cooker though, if I start to make anything and my boyfriend comes in I will slowly be moved out of the way and before I know it I will be moved near the sink and on washing up duty.

There is something in me that would love to be able to bake a cake, or make a huge meal from scratch but being the accident prone person I am, I do fear that it will turn out like Bridget Jones' dinner party in which she makes marmalade, and blue string soup. I once was cooking Spag bol and managed to set an entire roll of kitchen roll on fire, still to this day I don't know how I managed it. I do get nervous if anyone is in the kitchen as I feel they are watching me but I think left to my own devices I think I would do ok.

I think I have the cleaning bit down but to be able to cook would be good, I would love to knock up a chocolate cake, from start to finish and for it to be edible as well.

I have the 1950s tea dresses so maybe I am half way there to becoming a domestic goddess, if all else fail at least I'll look nice reading a Nigella Lawson cook book, looking like I know what I am doing.

I have recently received my Hummingbird Bakery cupcake book and made the hazelnut and chocolate cupcakes and they were a success really yummy! So I am getting there, woo hoo! But then I don't think it is that easy to be a domestic goddess... only time will tell.

Weird crushes...to admit or not admit?

Everyone has a weird crush, those ones that either don't make sense or that you wouldn't want other people to know about, sometimes even both at times.

Heat magazine does a weird crushes poll every year in which you vote for your strange crush. The poll is usually topped by Richard Hammond or James May. These crushes are the ones where the guys are un-cool or they are about the same age as your dad. Thinking about it there is probably a daddy complex in relation to these. These guys could probably look after you, make you laugh or give you a massive bear hug when you need one, it's more the thought of them looking after you than a physical attraction I am guessing...or hoping.

Then there are other weird crushes, the ones when the guys are not like anyone else you have every liked before. I'm happy to admit that my weird crush is Tom Meighan from Kasabian, not when he had long hair though, when he had the crop.

He looks nothing like my boyfriend or anyone else I have ever fancied for that matter but there is something about him that I find attractive.

I really don't know what it is. Is it his stage persona? His cockiness? Or his singing voice? I don't think it's the fact that he is in a band as I usually like bass players or guitarists, but again my boyfriend is neither.

It's almost as if you have always liked big rugby guys who are huge and muscly and you are out and see a skinny indie guy with loads of tattoos and a cool haircut and a flutter in your stomach appears and you think 'huh? How strange?' But then at the same time there is something about them, you don't know whether to tell your friends as you know you will get the look of a 'really? He's not your type is he?' or you know they are thinking 'Oh My God he looks awful, have you no taste? Or are you that drunk?'

I suppose some of them are just that they are so different from what you are used to, it's like if you are a boy and you like brunettes and then you have a crush on Nicola Roberts or Pamela Anderson.

It happens to the best of us though, Sienna Miller and Rhys Ifans, if she was your friend and after Jude Law brought home Rhys Ifans as a friend you would look a little dumbstruck thinking really? But then when she was with him his attractiveness did go up a bit, so he probably became some people's weird crush. I think Anna Friel goes out with him now. 

It's not that werid crushes are ugly but most of the time no-one can figure out why they like someone, may not be weird to all but some. I would consider Tom Cruise a weird crush, why oh why would anyone like him?

I think weird crushes should be embraced, as you never know, if you are single and your usually type never really works out maybe this weird crush will? As they say in Priscilla Musical 'You don't know unless you give it a go.'