Women I admire, part one

So, in my ever-present search to find inspiration, I realized that having role models is really an important part of it for me.  Finding women who inspire me in ways that I can't necessarily inspire myself is helpful in expanding who I am and who I want to be.  So, after reading this post this morning, I realized that, even though most of you will know most of the people I am inspired by, I want to share them with those who don't.  (wow, rambling and run-on...  lovely...)

My first role model is someone whom I discovered a short while ago and have been addicted to reading about ever since.  I came upon The Pioneer Woman through one of my favorite foodie blogs - Smitten Kitchen, which I highly recommend.  At the time, Ree was to be hosting a group of non-ranchers at her ranch for a food weekend.  Can you say "dream holiday"?  I started reading her blog, and was instantly hooked.  Honestly, the girl has it all covered!  First of all, her website is divided in to sections that seem to be talking straight to me - Confessions, Cooking, Photography, Home and Garden, and Homeschooling (okay, maybe not all of the sections...).  And she writes the way I imagine her being - funny, slighly sarcastic, honest.

So, after I dragged myself away from the initial story of the weekend of heavenly foods and fabulous new friends, I found myself in the (shocking, I know) photography section.  And what did I find there but the fact that Ree uses a Nikon camera and, what is that Ree?  You love your 20mm lens?  Well, I wouldn't know about that lens, Ree, I don't have one...  Thankfully, Mother's Day was only a month away, and I have a husband who doesn't really believe in waiting, thankfully...  And do you know what?  She was right!  I adore having a wider angle for taking photos and have been using it ever since~

Ree also has four kids, but somehow managed to make two of each.  Honestly, the woman seems to just ooze fabulousness.  She homeschools her little monkeys, (something that I am not sure I could do and stay sane at the same time...) and then seems to have this parental confidence and strength that I somehow need to absorb.  Case in point, the story from this morning.  The fact that she is comfortable having a five year old on a horse astounds me!  As some of you know, we have a horse.  He came with our house.  So really, he is just a large, expensive piece of pasture art.  We love him, really we do, but we just don't know enough to be really comfortable around him.  Oh, we brush him, and we feed him, and we do all of the necessary "horsey" things to keep our old boy comfortable and happy.  But really, he makes me a bit nervous.  When those ears go back, and he looks at me in that cranky "just leave me alone" manner, well, most often I just leave him alone.  But Ree - I know Ree would give him a good elbow to the chest, or neck, or wherever one elbows him in order to keep him in line.  Because Ree is strong like that.  Oh Ree, please send me some of your strength!

Really, I could go on and on about her handsome Marlboro Man, her fabulous lodge that they completed a gorgeous renovation on, her incredible writing style, or her amazing photography. I won't even go into how she posts multiple times a day, all the while, homeschooling, running a ranch, and looking absolutely GORGEOUS while doing it all.  

So, if you are having one of those days, and need to visit someone who is sure to give you a pick-me-up and encourage you to be all that you can be, Ree Drummond is your girl my friends. Really, she is~