Woman of the Year - Kelly Ripa

My pick for Woman of the Year for 2009 is Kelly Ripa.

I have always been a Kelly Ripa fan... even from her All My Children days. When I was 20 years old, and a Junior in college... I spent the summer interning for ABC's The View. The View shares a set with All My Children, so every day I got to see the cast - Kelly Ripa being one of the actresses there at the time. There was one day in particular that still sticks out in my mind. There was a group of us interns waiting for the elevator... we all of a sudden heard some hustle and bustle coming from the entrance. It was Kelly Ripa, her husband and her son (at that time she only had her oldest son). They were heading right for the elevators. Just as the group of us interns was about to enter the elevator, the security guard said to us, "Girls, can you wait for the next one please?"

I'll never forget that moment because Kelly Ripa turned to the guard and said, very cordially, "That's not necessary." And we all piled into it. She was all smiles with her little son and was extremely gracious to us.

That goes a long way...

So to see her now - at such a high pinnacle. A mother of 3. A wife. A daytime talk show host. An actress. She's got it all. You're happy for her. You root for her. She's someone you truly want to succeed and push her way to the top because she has remained herself. When I see photos of her with her family - she's consumed with them. There are no nannies in sight. It's her as Mom.

Not to mention... Kelly is absolutely stunning. What I love about Kelly Ripa's style is that she has a fabulous way of looking chicly cool in comfortable clothing. She wears clothing effortlessly... and knows exactly what works with her body and frame. I notice that she wears a lot of yellows and greens... these colors complement her so well.

Kelly Ripa is a celebrity who has been able to stay out of the tabloids. She's raising her family as normal as normal can be for her in NYC. She works hard. She plays well. And she makes it known that her first priority always is being a mother.

The fact that she's funny and kind and sweet and gracious and smart is just icing on the cake.