GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAFY

. . . officially the season for giving, and so many ways to make a difference, including supporting wonderful charities such as new york-based pencils of promise, that partners with local communities and organizations to build schools in developing nations for some of the world’s most impoverished and undereducated children. sadly, there are more than 75 million children in this situation worldwide

last december, the pencils of promise team visited a small village in laos, and by july 2009, had built a new school for the village children who were able to attend classes by the first of september. this month, pencils of promise will be opening their third school and they hope to open the doors to education for more children in the new year

pencils of promise is currently in champet, a village that is home to the only high school in the area for surrounding villages. in order to attend this school, students must leave their families and homes to live in unsafe dormitories that are little more than bamboo huts. currently, some parents are unwilling to send their children to school because of the dangerous conditions of these huts

this holiday season, the goal is to build a library and safe housing for 200 school girls to give them access to further education

and so, in the spirit of the season, we are asking for your help -- whether it's $1.00 or $100.00, 100% of your donation will be used to complete this wonderful project

{thank you!}

{p.s.} more about pencils of promise:
* video
* facebook

{images: 1 - martha stewart; 2 - lilla villa vita via emma; 3-5 - photography by nick onken; special thanks to paloma of la dolce vita for organizing this blogger collaboration}

It's time to 'think pink' for Breast Cancer Awareness month!
This is a reminder to do your monthly breast self-examination (if you're over age 20) since we know that early detection is critical to successful treatment.
For more information, we suggest that you check out the Susan G. Komen for the Cure website (click here). Also, their site has the Promise Shop where you can buy some fun goodies in which 50-80% of the price of all items sold funds research and community outreach programs. These programs ultimately save lives and will hopefully end breast cancer forever. Of course, you can also send in a donation! There are numerous organizations devoted to battling breast cancer (just Google search it), and also plenty of tips for reducing your risk. Some suggestions are: Cut down on alcohol, eat fruit, get out and walk, avoid HRT, lose weight (if you suffer from obesity) and get screened! Those are just a few pointers, but really the ultimate goal is to crush this disease altogether with research and discovering a cure.
In spirit of thinking pink, we've posted some pretty pink lingerie items for you!