Thursday, November 24, 2016

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Thankful Thursday: Building A Family!

Today and Everyday, 
I am Most Thankful for this Family we have built . . . 

 We are so Blessed to have our 4 Great Kids!
I look at them with Awe and Amazement!

 Plus our 2 Wonderful Daughter in Laws!
I am my most happy when we are all together!

 And to think It all started with a Blind Date 
that led to a Wedding;

 And we're still going strong! 
I Love Us! I Love Our Family!

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Thankful Thursday: EmPOWERed Women

Last week I had the Honor of attending the Dress For Success Gala. For over the past year and a half I've been volunteering, every month at my local chapter of Dress For Success here in Phoenix. I first heard about it when the company I work for, Vanity Fair Brands, held events to promote donating to this great organization. This year alone, Vanity Fair will donate up to 50,000 Bra's to Dress For Success! I am so proud of that fact.

If you are unfamiliar with Dress For Success they help disadvantaged Women get back into the work force. They teach them how to find and apply for jobs, how to build a Resume', Interview Skills, and more! When they get a job interview we Suit them, they receive an entire outfit; Pants or Skirt, a Top & Jacket, Shoes, handbag & Accessories, make-up and more. Then when they get the job, they came back in and are given a weeks worth of work clothes. I, as a Personal Shopper, get to dress them. It's fun to see the change in some of these Women, when they change their attire!

The Gala is their biggest event and fund raiser of the year. Held at a Resort in Scottsdale, you enter by walking the Red Carpet! There was a cocktail reception with silent auctions, raffles and more.

I found this picture on Arizona Foothills Magazine. My dress looks black in some pictures and really bright here, it's actually Navy Blue! :) The Lady I was talking to here I believe was there with GoDaddy. Many companies donated items or hosted a table. I love talking about Dress For Success, sharing how I'm affiliated with them and how they can get involved.

During Dinner and the Program, we heard from Vice Mayor Kate Gallego and her husband Congressman Ruben Gallego, about how grateful they are for all the work Dress For Success does in our community. Sharing how when you elevate a woman's position, you elevate the community! 

We had a Fashion Show of Women's Work Wear, and pay through the Decades. It was so Interesting! Arizona is better than most States as far as Equal Pay for Equal Work, but we still don't make the same as Men (Yet!) Then we got to see and hear Success Stories from the Women pictured above, who some came out of abusive relationships, poverty, or hard times, with little or no education. And with some Support from Dress For Success, found work and the confidence to get an education and turn their lives around! Some are now CEO's, Teachers, some work in Health Care, one fulfilled a life long dream of becoming a Pilot, after being told girls couldn't do that! It's Women like these who made this election so important to me. But it's also Women like these who are so unstoppable, I know there is Always Hope for the future of this Country! 

After dinner we received donations for this incredible organization. The Volunteers wore these light up bracelets, and anyone who donated $50.00 or more received one. It was exciting to "Light Up the Ballroom!"

 At the After Party, we had local R&B Artist Cece Peniston perform her Billboard #1 hit "Finally" & more. A good time was had by all, it was such a fun night!

These are some of the Amazing Women I have met through Dress For Success. I volunteer each month with Courtney, who's on the left. And Pat, who's in the middle, runs the Boutique. You too can help out your local chapter of Dress For Success by Volunteering or Donating: Clothing, Shoes, Handbags, Jewelry, Etc. They accept all donations, including Monetary! :) And if the clothing isn't necessarily Business appropriate, that's okay, they hold warehouse sales, where all the proceeds go back into Dress For Success! I truly believe Empowered Women, Empower Women! And am so Thankful they do!


Thursday, November 3, 2016

Thankful Thursday: Girl Power!


Yes, It's that time of year again! When Every Thursday of the Month becomes Thankful Thursday! A day set aside to remember to be Grateful for all we've been given. It can be anything! From the silly to the serious, the mundane to the meaningful. And I encourage you, at this Thanksgiving Season, and Always, to voice what you are Thankful for. And please share it with me here as well. Because as always, I am so Thankful for you, my Readers . . . 

 To kick start my month of Thankful Thursdays, I have to start with last night; The Election is next week, and Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton made a stop here in the great state of Arizona. Political Rallies are free, you just have to be willing to stand in line. There were more than 10,000 people there! 

 I along with my Daughters were among the 10.000 plus. It was fun and exciting to be there, and even better to get to share it with my girls, and to see it all through their eyes.

We heard a few speakers, including Representative Gabby Giffords, who was shot at a Rally here in Tucson, AZ.

My Brave little Girl, Erica, fought her way toward the front, where she stood (in Thigh High Boots mind you!) for 2 hours, to get pictures of Hillary entering! While Lexi and I danced, and sat in the bleachers. And she did get some really great shots and video! And when she finally joined us, she did take off her boots for a bit! :)

 There were people of all ages, races, sexes, etc. there. We heard many chants, and saw a vast array of signs & shirts. I saw 3 others with my DVF shirt! Great Taste! :) We saw a T-Shirt that stated "A Woman's Place is in the Kitchen!" :0 We also saw one that said "A Woman's Place is in the White House!" ;) On a personal note here; I believe a woman's place is wherever she wants it to be!!

 Here we are, with Hillary speaking behind us! And after the rally, as we were making our way out among the crowd, (which went surprisingly smoothly, there were protesters, but from our vantage point, everyone was civil, the entire time we saw 1 person being escorted out in handcuffs) a man asked me what I thought of the rally, my answer was "I am excited to be here with my daughters, as this is the first Presidential Election they are able to vote in, and how thrilled I am that they have a Woman on the ballot!" Let us not forget, It wasn't all that long ago, women weren't even able to vote at all! And weather or not you agree with her, weather or not you vote for her, weather or not she wins, this is a great thing for all of us! And for that I'm Thankful!