When this post is published I’ll be at my fourth UK Blog Awards event in London where I’m a finalist in the Fashion & Beauty category. That’s four lots of red carpet looks I’ve had to choose… it gets tougher every year!
I doubt I’ll be topping my winning red gown from last year but I really love what I am wearing. It’s a totally different look again from the last three (above) – maybe not as showstopping as last year’s dress, but I love it all the same. A little more subtle this time, perhaps…?!
[Here are links to the original posts seen above, L-R: vintage 70s maxi dress, fairy princess outfit, red carpet gown]
Having won the Fashion & Beauty category last year I really don’t see myself winning again (follow my Instagram Stories to see what happens, I might do some live!), but right now IS a fantastic time for 40 plus bloggers. A few years ago it was unheard of for any blogger over 30 to even DREAM of winning a blogging award. The only awards I remember were the Cosmo Awards (and maybe a few other magazine-organised ones) when everyone thought you had to be a lithe 20-something to have a blog.
I entered a few of them, then realised it was futile. I was never going to be featured as a winner in Cosmo… I just wasn’t what they were looking for.
Fast forward a year or two and I entered the UK Blog Awards for the first time which was only in its second year, and to my utter amazement I became a finalist. I’d found an organisation that wasn’t geared solely towards recognising 20-something fashionistas. They gave awards in every category you could possibly think of, from marketing to motoring, from fashion to fitness, from parenting to PR.
And what was absolutely wonderful was that the entrants were of all ages (not all women, either!), and it felt great to be part of something that seemed so much more inclusive than those fashion-driven magazine awards.
We got to dress up in evening dresses and smart suits =sigh=. Not being an employee anymore and not having the office Christmas party meant a lack of getting dressed up to the nines once a year. What girl doesn’t want to get “red carpet ready”?
So after three times of being a finalist, I actually won the Fashion & Beauty category. I’d honestly given up thinking/hoping I might win (maybe that’s why I did win?) – I just went in order to enjoy the evening and spend it with friends. Winning was just the biggest bonus you POSSIBLY ever dream of, and in the 12 months since I’ve never quite believed that I really did actually do it.
Just to prove my shock at winning last year, here’s the moment I won again:
My awards hopes for all 40 plus bloggers
So this is what I’m hoping: I want to see MORE 40 plus bloggers win awards. I want to see them in the finalist lineups. Not just in parenting awards, or mummy blogging awards or similar where women over 30 are usually the predominant finalists, but in awards/categories where it’s more common to see those lithe 20-something fashionistas.
There are more blogging awards events than ever before, so let’s see some lithe 60-somethings – or some plus size 40-somethings – in the fashion and beauty categories. Let’s see some men in the parenting categories. Let’s see an 80 year old in the vlogging category. Let’s see someone with a disability in the sports and fitness category (you get my drift). Just as we all want to see diversity in advertising and magazines, we want to see diversity in terms of recognition amongst all bloggers.
For me personally I’m championing the visibility of older bloggers, especially in the youth-orientated fashion and beauty categories.
I only managed to become a finalist thanks to the mixture of having the balls to enter myself and ask my readers for votes and thanks to, of course, the support of my readers to vote for me with a click or a tap. I wouldn’t have won at the Thirty Plus Awards, the Bloggers’ Lounge Awards AND the UK Blog Awards without them.
So if you see an “open for nominations” notice for an awards event, please, please, PLEASE nominate your favourite blogger. Nominate YOURSELF.
I’m not the only 40 plus blogger to be a finalist this year, so things are definitely improving. But it’s starting to become generally the same people who become finalists, and that’s because of who has the balls to enter themselves.
I hope that MORE 40 plus bloggers will enter. I hope that more FANS of 40 plus bloggers will nominate their favourites. We need the diversity, we need the competition, we need to make everything more interesting and more competitive (in a good way!) to show just how fabulous older bloggers are and how much they have to share.
So if you see an “open for nominations” notice for an awards event, please, please, PLEASE nominate your favourite blogger. Nominate YOURSELF. My win has, I’m sure, played a huge part in the success of my blog in the last year and the fact that I can turn down more work than I can shake a stick at. I want that for those that want it too.
Blogging has come such a long time way since the days of people thinking it was for young people only. Those days are long behind us, but now we need to get more older bloggers recognised (and hailed) as huge talents in the same way that those lithe fashionistas always have been.
I may have been one of the first 40 plus bloggers to win a major fashion and beauty award, but let’s hope I’m certainly not the last…!
FOLLOW ME ON MY INSTAGRAM STORIES TONIGHT RIGHT AROUND THE TIME THIS POST GOES OUT – I’M PLANNING TO DO SOME LIVE STORIES!
LIKE THIS POST? YOU MIGHT ALSO WANT TO READ…
– Winning a Major Blogging Award – and What It Means For the Over 40 Community
– The Thirty Plus Awards: Winning ‘Most Addictive Blog’
– The Importance of Older Women’s Visibility in Fashion
So all that’s left to say is – I’ve shared my thoughts/stories/tuppence-worth this week, now it’s time to share yours… LET’S GET THIS [LINK UP] PARTY STARTED!
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Thank you for joining the #SaturdayShareLinkUp! Designed to allow you to share anything you like on ANY topic, it goes live every Friday at around 8pm UK time and will stay open for a week. You can share blog posts or Instagram posts, old posts or new posts, and link up as many as you like.
PLEASE be kind and leave a link somewhere on your post, and share your post using the hashtag #SaturdayShareLinkUp – if you tweet your link with the hashtag and tag me in @notlamb I’ll even retweet it to my followers for you 🙂
I’m so excited for you Catherine, you are always such an inspiration! I definitely need to see if there’s something similar here in the U.S.
Many Many Congratulations ! You deserve it.You’re very stylist blogger.
fairy princess was my favourite. I remember that post as if it was yesterday, still love the look today
Saying good luck is moot now, and for good reason!!! I’ll go over to today’s post to congratulate you, Catherine, but for this post, I just wanted to (re)gush over that fairy tall outfit of yours. It is/was such a dream.
Best of luck, you deserve another win. You should win just for turning up looking so stunning, my dearie! An inspirational post, though I don’t think there are awards for Over 60 Plus Size!
Enjoy the evening,,X.
Congtrats babe, you really deserve it, Good luck Catherine thumbs up for you
Katherine
congrats!!! Lover your dresses!!!!
Catherine, I want to do what you’re asking us to do…but where do I nominate myself? Hong Kong doesn’t have it this sort of thing—that I’m aware of anyway. I’m American yet don’t live there. Where would you recommend I nominate myself? I feel I am definitely an enigma in the blogosphere. I feel so limited and definitely out there as in out of touch because of where I blog from…. Any advice? I’d love it—as I always do!
Love, Annie
EEEk! Congratulations! Two years in a row too! RIGHT ON!!!!
Congrats on winning. Very cool. Thanks for hosting and I hope that you have a wonderful week,
You look so beautiful! Congratulations on last year and I’m so excited that you won again this year! What an amazing thing to be part of!
Congratulations! You’re on for a hat trick 😉
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
Hat Trick!?
Yes!!!!
I knew you were going to win again Catherine!
(I felt it in me bones :o)
Congratulations.
Well deserved.
XXX
Samantha
Congratulations again..so excited and was following you on your instagram stories to see…and you even replied to me…so kind… as I said last night you are an inspiration and so kind to share your knowledge with the rest of us. Maybe I will get the courage to enter the Irish blogger awards x
Another blog post in which you share your knowledge and your enthousiasm and in which you encourage other women to come forward, to make themselves visible, to believe in themselves. That is one of the things I love most about your blog: your caring and sharing! Love, Lieske
Many many congrats. I saw your live. Hope you enjoyed your sandwich:) . I’m so pleased for you and thanks for supporting we er me, novices.
Author
Haha it really was an INCREDIBLE sandwich, Anna – and I don’t normally like prawn sandwiches!! 😉
Thank you xo
All the best!!
Best wishes on the night, hope you will get it, Catherine. Good luck
Catherine You won you won! I am so proud of you… I hope you know what an amazing woman you are and that you deserve all the success that comes your way.
Your support and encouragement for other bloggers is awesome. You are an inspiration.
So yes perhaps next year I will put myself up for some awards? Usually I dont bother because I dont think I’m good enough!
Congratulations you darling girl xxx
Author
YES to entering yourself, Ashley!!! I’ll be voting for you!! Thank you my darling, your support means so much MUAH x
Saw it on Twitter … well done… you are amazing and deserve all of this. Winning for the 2nd year running … wowser … always an inspiration … beauty, brains and loveliness xo
Author
Thank youuuuuuuuuuuuu Sharon! woop woop!! 😉 x
I’m jumping up and down screaming (on the inside, my son is asleep!) because I know that you won and I am so so so so so so so very proud of you and your ridiculously strong work ethic. I don’t know anyone who lives and breathes blogging like you do; you always inspire me with your tirelessness and your support for other women. You deserve every award you get, my friend. Love to you xxxx
Author
Hehe I wish I’d been a fly on the wall, Lisa!! 😉 Thank you SO MUCH my lovely, and for your hospitality over the weekend, you’re a fabulous friend xx
Girl…I’m rooting for you like no other!! You are such the perfect inspiration for every woman out there, and you have such a great way to present it!!!
I’ll be watching!!
XOXO
Jodie
Author
Jodie that’s so lovely of you, thank you x
WINNER!
You so so deserve it Catherine. Nobody, no-body, deserves it more….
Love ya babe xxx
Author
You were right, MT!!!!!!! (HOW did I win again?!) MUAH thank you xo
Good luck, hope you have a fab night! Jacqui Mummabstylish
Fingers crossed for you—good luck!
Cheryl Shops
Congrats on your nomination and good luck Catherine ❤️
Good luck! xx
I wish you lots of succes and a great evening!
Author
Thanks Nancy so much xx