JUST BEING AUDREY

just being audreyMy mother is obsessed with the Kardashian’s, after the show premiered she called me and gave me a play-by-play of what happened as if she was describing an evening with friends. I had never seen the show and to be honest I don’t pay much attention to the tabloids because I don’t know know who 99% of the people they are writing about are and it all seems a little depressing to me. I watched about 15 minutes of the show to see what the hype was about and felt my brain deteriorate with each passing minute. If I heard the word ‘like’ drop out of the mouth of a 30 year old married woman one more time….Yes, they are indeed pretty, but beyond that they seem rather droll and uninteresting. The thing that panicked me the most was that there are legions upon legions of young girls that want to emulate these numb skulls. It makes me scared for the future of like humanity. That is why when I came across this very sweet children’s book called ‘Just being Audrey’ by Margaret Cardillo that I felt there was still a glimmer of hope in the world. The story is about Audrey Hepburn as a little girl, her perseverance over adversity and the kindness she showed to others. I think Audrey is a fine example of a celebrity worthy of emulation if ever there was one. The illustrations by Julia Denos make this book even more charming.

Admittedly,  I am a teensy bit envious by how clever the concept is, this is yet another story of someone doing what they love and having success and I am grateful for the inspiration (and the challenge to try harder). I hope today is a day that you are able to do something closer to achieving your dreams and that you remember to show kindness to others. I’m going to start by apologizing to the Kardashian’s for not being nice, but in my defense I did say they were pretty.

P.S. I think this would make a great gift for any little girl!

Author / Miss Tristan B

Miss Tristan B. is the proprietress of Besotted Brand and the writer of this delightful blog. She recently re-located to sunny Seattle with her handsome husband and two pup.

30 thoughts on “JUST BEING AUDREY

  1. Tristan, I’m so glad you wrote about this darling book! Like you, I just kinda happened to come across it, and I bought it, with no daughters in sight, but with the knowledge that I want to own it when/if one comes along. The illustrations are so beautiful. I actually keep it in the stack of coffee table books in my living room :)

    1. Diane I totally think this book is coffee table worthy, Julia Denos is an amazing illustrator, some of these images would be perfect framed for a little girls room too!

  2. Ha…wow embarrassed to say the Kardashians is a guilty pleasure of mine. It is so awful-but I got sucked into their lives and now my curiosity keeps me coming back. Don’t write me off Tristan! I do love that book though-have it saved for Marie…she won’t be watching the show with me….ever. ;)

    1. You & my mom! Maybe I needed to be watching from the beginning? Lol. I was going to suggest this book to you but of course you know about it! I am glad Marie won’t be watching the Kardashian’s and will be reading this book:) I won’t write either you or my mom off, but I do have one burning question, in the 15 minutes that I watched why is that cute little Kardashian with such an awful tool of a boyfriend?

    1. An interesting demographic right? I don’t know what she gets out of it, but she’s totally into it, not casually but glued to her screen, lol! I hope you the book!

  3. I walked in on my mom (who’s in her 50’s) watching the Kardashian’s the other day and she pretended she was just flipping through the channels when I caught her red handed! lol On a better note, Audrey Hepburn was a beautiful example of class, style and generosity, even in the later years of her life. (Thanks for sharing the book too)

    1. Lol, it’s funny how it’s appealing to all our Mom’s, maybe it makes them feel better about how we all turned out?

  4. I love Audrey and look up to her so much, she definitely is one to emulate!
    I’m definitely going to have to pick up this book!
    Thanks for sharing!

  5. I could also care less about the Kardashians. You’ve got to get your mother off that crap while her brain is still intact! I love children’s books about empowered women (famous or not), I hope that’s who our daughters’ are emulating!

    1. It’s too late she is hooked and never coming back, but I agree it can’t be good for the brain, but maybe it’s like white noise something to just zone out to after a stressful day?

  6. Wow! Thanks for sharing info on this book. It looks wonderful and something I’m going to get for my daughter. Interestingly enough, I did something today to get one step closer to reaching my dreams :o) Thanks for sharing this post!

  7. Yay! I love that you wrote about this book! It is so lovely! I agree about it making a great gift but also think that a framed print from Julia Denos would make great art for a little ladies room. Thanks for another great post!

  8. When my daughter was 12 I forbade her from watching the Kardashians. I had previewed an episode where Kim lied to her younger sisters about being ill to get out of spending a day at the beach with them. That was the last straw for me after viewing the vacuousness of these people, the lopsidedness of their “success,” etc. I knew this was not something she should ever consider normal or acceptable. Keep in mind, I never forbade my teens from watching any tv shows they enjoyed because their choices were well-balanced, it’s just that this particular show was bad in every way, no redeeming value, at all. I plan to purchase Just Being Audrey for both of us to read. Thank you for sharing it with us.

    1. Suzy I think that it was a smart move, fine for an adult to want to zone out to or a guilty pleasure, but I think it’s too impressionable for a young girl and I didn’t even watch that much of it, but my Mom has kept me abreast of it all.

      I hope you both like the book , I love that it will be introducing a new generation to Audrey and hopefully a new fan base:)

  9. I, too, am concerned what we are doing to future generations with the fascination that exists with these programs and people. It is so sad. I live my life very differently, and expect such from our boys. And pray! I am going to have to check this book out. I am sure it is a winner. You sound so happy with your new spot in Seattle. I am very happy for you.

    1. I agree, I don’t think these programs are great for kids, I like that they are a close knit family, family is important but beyond that they aren’t well rounded the way I imagine most parents would like their children to be. I am very happy with Seattle and just returning to civilization, it all feels very new & fresh and I am happy to take it all in. Thank you for the kind words.

  10. Thanks for being so honest about today’s celebrity culture…and for doing so with such wit and charm. Oh, and I love Audrey, too. She lived for many years near Morges, Switzerland, about a half-hour drive from where I now live, and the local townspeople there still remember her charm, modesty and unaffectedness.

    1. Elena that is so amazing that you live so close! What a thrill! I do wish there were more celebrities out there that I could see young girls wanting to look up to, but I can’ t really even think of one, can you? I am happy to know that Audrey has a new audience and hope this book is a big success:)

  11. I’m so glad you posted your feelings about the show! I thought I was the only one horrified by the success of these people doing “nothing” and getting paid millions. I tried watching it, but they were whiny and self centered and I just couldn’t stand it.

  12. i wrote a huge text and it then i did press the wrong button and it all disappeared :/
    i want Audrey for myself and Kardashian’s are an afrodisiac for the human morbid curiosity .
    Some feed it,some let it die out of thirst and look other ways…but nobody is safe from wanting to peek on this other’s people fences!

    1. Oh, Sara I hate when that happens! Yes, I think it is curiosity but I think in some ways it makes people feel better about themselves, lol.

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