The 4th of July -- the perfect time to celebrate the spirit of independence that makes America a pretty darn great place to live. In honor of the holiday, we picked 10 celebrity ladies we admire for living life on their own terms and for inspiring us with their boldness, drive, style, energy and all ‘round, all-American sass.

We stuck with straight-up celebs, which is why you won’t find any political or business leaders here... this list is straight-up, A-list sparklers.

Without further ado ... in no particular order ... 10 firecracker ladies!

Gwen Stefani

“I want to be a guy, but I want to wear a lot of makeup.”

She’s married with kids. She’s a rock star. She’s a fiercely independent fashion mogul. Plus -- she has those trademark firecracker-red lips. We heart Gwen Stefani!

Chelsea Handler

“Being myself, speaking my truth, and trusting who I am got me to where I am today.”

One of the funniest, smartest people on the small screen. Her books are laugh-out-loud hilarious. She’s a potty-mouth smartypants business woman who made her own way in a male-dominated field. Um, who said women aren’t funny?

Sandra Bullock

“I've made mistakes, and I know why I made them, but I made that choice. Nobody`s ever made a choice for me.”

The epitome of class and grace, Sandra kept her mouth closed and her head held high through what must have been the nightmarish media frenzy surrounding the Jesse James cheating debacle. Sandra just moved on with her life, not letting her heartbreak deter her from adopting the true love of her life, sweet baby Louis.

Willow Smith

“You can pick how famous you want to be. If you don’t work hard, then you aren’t going to have the success that you want. But if you work hard and dig in, then you are going to have the success that you want.”

This little lady is a little young to be on this list, but we had to include her. Such poise, such indie style! We can’t wait to see what Willow does next, and with an awesome woman like Jada Pinkett Smith for a mom, we’re sure Willow’s going great places in life. (Her dad’s not too shabby either!)

Lady Gaga

"You have to be unique, and different, and shine in your own way."

Love her or hate her, you can’t deny that she marches to the beat of her own drum. She can’t help it -- she was born that way! (Sorry! We couldn’t help it either ...)