You know how passionate I am about supporting women and the mission they’re on. Najat Murillo, an elementary teacher, who spearheadsLive The Giveis one of those women. Her mission is to equip every child around the world with a quality education. Her work as an elementary teacher gave her firsthand understanding of the immense impact that an education can have on the life of a child. Her passion, awakened and informed by her experience in the classroom, is to empower children around the world with the knowledge and skills that will unlock a brighter future for them, their country and the world.
Which clothing items do we all need? Tees, tanks and sweatshirts! Live The GIve is an online store with several cool and comfy styles for women and men. I am going to live in my new gray wide neck sweatshirt all winter. It’s so soft and flattering– not bulky. $3 of each tee will go toward funding global education initiatives.
“I have always wanted to help children around the world enjoy a better quality of life and a more hopeful future,” says Murillo. “I believe the best way to do that is by giving them the opportunity to be in school and by improving the quality of their education. I am determined to spread awareness of the importance of global education and the impact it has on our society.”
In addition to supporting education around the world, Live the Give also believes in helping our environment. All Live the Give tees are eco-consciously manufactured and factories are certified safe, lawful, humane, and ethical. Shoppers anywhere in the U.S. enjoy free shipping.
They make great holiday gifts and make sure to grab a sweatshirt for yourself! *wink
I would like to start off wishing all of you who celebrate it…. A Very Happy & Blessed Easter! Easter is a miraculous time of renewal and rebirth. I love this time of year for so many reasons, but especially on a spiritual level. Everywhere you look there are signs of new life from the greener grass to the budding flowers and trees. The birds are singing and the squirrels are playing. How amazing is God’s Creation!? On my power walk last week, I was thrilled to have all my senses heightened by the sights and smells of spring.
WooHoo! IT HAS OFFICIALLY ARRIVED!
Winter is a time when everything appears to die and lies dormant or is intentionally pruned back in order to grow bigger and better come spring. We can feel like that at times as well. Have you felt the pain of being pruned back and are now ready to bloom, shine brighter and live life larger?
Back in January, I shared that my life theme for 2015 is to “go bigger” and trust me, I’ve have many seasons of being pruned back. Who’s with me? Part of that pruning back is letting go of the things, behaviors or people who no longer serve our higher self. In order to bloom and become who you are truly meant to be and step into a new life, you have to snip some dead things off. Grab those spiritual gardening shears and get to work. Cheers to a fresh start and new beginning!
Since this is my blog & my world which I openly share with all of you, I would not be authentic if I didn’t mention the main reason this weekend is special to me. I’m so grateful for the cross and the resurrection power. I’m grateful for John 3:16 and God’s sacrifice for us, for you, for me. If you’ve watched my vlog’s you know I am transparent in sharing how messed up my life was until I allowed God back in. So, this weekend especially symbolizes the new life and second chance I’ve been given.
This weekend, I encourage you celebrate your life, celebrate your family + friends and celebrate a fresh start + the opportunity to bloom…and grow bigger.
Love, Tiff
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Hey DFW Sistas, if you have done some spring cleaning in your closet and have gently used items to donate, please consider dropping them by the clothing drive forThe Grace ProjectNational Conference For Women Living With HIV on April 18th at 4054 McKinney Ave, Dallas 75204 in the parking lot.
Recently, one of my besties sent me this great reminder. I read this a few years ago, but in each season of our life messages hit us differently! I wanted to share it with all of you to encourage you to plan regular time with girlfriends who lift you up, challenge you to be the best you can be, who spotlight your strengths and love you unconditionally. Over the past few weeks I’ve been blessed by several empowering and uplifting moments with girlfriends. This is truly the best anti-depressant and it’s even good for our overall health. Read on…
INTERESTING BIT ABOUT FEMALE RELATIONSHIPS.They Teach It at Stanford:
In an evening class at Stanford University, the last lecture was on the mind-body connection — the relationship between stress and disease.
The speaker (head of psychiatry at Stanford) said, among other things, that one of the best things that a man could do for his health is to be married to a woman. … . whereas for a woman, one of the best things she could do for her health was to nurture her relationships with her girlfriends.
At first everyone laughed, but he was serious. Women connect with each other differently and provide support systems that help each other to deal with stress and difficult life experiences. Physically, this quality “girlfriend time” helps us to create more serotonin — a neurotransmitter that helps combat depression and can create a general feeling of well being.
Women share feelings, whereas men often form relationships around activities. We share from our souls with our sisters/mothers, and evidentlythat is very GOOD for our health. He said that spending time with a friend is just as important to our general health as jogging or working out at a gym.
There’s a tendency to think that when we are “exercising” we are doing something good for our bodies, but when we are hanging out with friends, we are wasting our time and should be more productively engaged? Not true. In fact, he said that failure to create and maintain quality personal relationships with other humans is as dangerous to our physical health as smoking!
So every time you hang out to schmooze with a gal pal, just pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself for doing something good for your health! We are indeed very, very lucky. So…. let’s toast to our friendship with our girlfriends. Evidently, it’s very good for our health.
Dawn walking in the “Dress4Yellow” fashion show, which celebrates cancer survivors.
Bad hair days. Ugh! We’ve all had them, right? You spend 45 minutes drying and curling your other-wise stick straight hair and single-handedly deplete a portion of the ozone layer with hairspray to keep your ‘do in place. Then, you walk outside only to be greeted by Mother Nature who whips up the wind and challenges the humidity to reach an all-time high, and you can almost hear her sarcastic laugh crackling in the wind as you feel your curls succumb to the elements.
Yep, it stinks.
But, everything is relative.
What if your bad hair day began when you took wig tape and stretched it across the perimeter of your bald head while you prayed the tape would be strong enough to withstand Mother Nature? Losing your curls to the humidity is one thing. Losing your wig to the wind is…well, a nightmare.
And, the bad hair day continues as you try to recreate the eye brows you once complained about having to wax so often. The cu-de-gyres, of course, is gluing false lashes to your eye lid without the guidance of a single eye lash. You get so frustrated, you consider giving up until the thought of continuing to look like an alien surpasses your urge to quit.
I wish I could tell you I’m describing a scene from a bad movie, but the truth is I was the star of this real-life nightmare. I was 46 years-old, married to my soul mate and husband of nearly 25 years. Together, we were raising our12-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son, and I was enjoying a successful career as a fashion stylist. Then, one day I woke up with a lump on my sternum. It, literally, grew overnight. I had been to several doctors prior to that day because I was having difficulty breathing and received a series of inconclusive diagnoses. But, this time, I knew something was wrong, really wrong.
Dawn & her family shortly after diagnoses.
The next day I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and had about a quart of fluid drained from my lungs – fluid that wasn’t draining through my lymphatic system because it was no longer capable of doing its job. Instead, the cancer-filled lymph nodes formed a 9-centimeter mass between my lungs, and the lump on my sternum was the outward manifestation of that mass. Within a week, I underwent a biopsy of the mass, a biopsy of my bone marrow, a PET scan, and had a port placed underneath my skin through which I began my chemotherapy treatment. I was given a 70% chance of making a full recovery.
Eventually, I had a 100 hours of chemotherapy treatment. It rid my body of cancer and, simultaneously, it rid me of my femininty and my dignity.
As a fashion stylist, I’ve often said, “The way you look on the outside is a reflection of who you are on the inside.” So, what does a 9-centimeter mass of cancer-filed lymph nodes positioned between your lungs look like? I don’t think anyone wants to know the answer to that question.
Yet, despite everything I’ve just written, the most ironic thing happened to me during the first few months of my treatment. Although I was on a sabbatical, I decided to attend a book-signing party given in honor of one of my clients. A woman, not just any woman, a 6-foot-tall, redheaded fashion icon, said to me, “You look radiant.”
With supportive husband, Jon.
I was speechless. I just stared at her until her very polite and intuitive husband broke the awkward silence between us and commented on..well, truth be told…I don’t know what he said, but his voice was exactly what I needed to hear in order to find my own voice.
Radiant. Now that was an interesting choice of words, I thought to myself. You see, she didn’t know about my diagnosis, she didn’t know I was wearing a wig, she didn’t know how it took every ounce of strength I could muster, mentally and physically, to be standing in front of her at that very moment.
Then, of course, I told her. Our conversation from that point forward is one I will always treasure for many, many reasons. But, perhaps, the most important reason is that I came to realize the deeper meaning behind the advice I had been dishing out all these years.
With beautiful daughter, Erica – rockin’ her wig.
Despite the fact that I was a cancer-filled mess, standing a death’s door, and fighting for my life, I was spiritually stronger than ever before. I felt the presence of God in a way that I’ve never really been able to capture in words. I felt like I had been chosen – like so many of the biblical figures I’d grown to admire – I’d been chosen to glorify God. He knew that I would credit Him for healing me; I would lead others to Him through my unshakable faith; and I would be a living example of His power and grace.
A toast to good life at the “Eternally Grateful” party Dawn & her family threw for everyone who helped them on this journey.
Dawn speaking at the 2013 St. Valentine’s Day Fashion Show & Luncheon – sharing her journey and encouraging others to give to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
So, I was radiant after all. Radiant from the glow of the Holy Spirit shining so brightly that even my wig, my penciled-in eyebrows and my false eye lashes couldn’t overshadow its glow, and shedding a new perspective on the adage, “The way you look on the outside is a reflection of who you are on the inside.”
Dawn with her family, including her mom, at the 2014 St. Valentine’s Day Fashion Show & Luncheon when she received the “Heart of Gold” award.
Ok, no small talk.. I’m cutting to the chase – who else had a crappy week? Is it safe to say that as we get older, that one little hour we lose to Daylight Savings has the power to wreck our world? I’v noticed many a Facebook Status with similar complaints and have even had a few friends say they are downright emotional and cranky. As I sit and write this blog, I feel like a train wreck and as if I haven’t slept in days. Actually feels like I’m coming down with something. Let’s hope not.
I desperately need a nap. Let me hurry and finish work so I can get to that.
OK- enough of the whining.
Yesterday, I had a few important meetings and needed to be on my game. I was in a fog, felt frumpy and needed a sprinkle of fairy dust or a kick in the rear to get me moving. Yes, I have those days too sista! I’m finally getting to my point…I had to dig deep and use my own motivational tips and tools to get my “STRUT” mentality rockin! Are you wondering what that means? If you have been following SOS for a while, you know that I not only teach style tips and how to choose the best foundation, but it all starts with your mental makeover.
You know when you are tired…what is the thing we tend to keep repeating over and over like a psycho? I’M SO TIRED. I’M SO TIRED. Yawwwn, I’M JUST SO TIRED. I had to literally tell myself to shut up and start thinking of how positive the outcome of the days meetings would be. I thought of the women I would be helping because of the meetings. Then, I got a shot of energy and became excited about getting dressed and getting out the door.
STRUT IT.
My attitude and thinking had officially turned around and I took it a step further as I entered my closet. A Facebook Follower made the comment last week that she has trouble wearing her new items and tends to keep wearing her worn out things. She was wondering what the mentality was behind that. I can relate or I just get lazy and tend to reach for the familiar. Is it that old way of being and low self-worth that tries to creep back in? Yesterday, in the closet- I thought of that Facebook comment and decided to rock a new sheer white blouse. It was one of the first warm days of Spring and I was meeting with some pretty fantastic people and wanted to look my best. It’s so easy to grab the things we’re most comfortable in and it may take a bit more effort to choose new fresh options. The outcome of walking out of the house feeling fabulous is so worth the extra effort. Then, Oops!… I did it again (do you hear Britney in your head?)… I put one foot in my comfy “old faithful” black platforms and said to myself- Wait a minute, Tiff- quit going to the same old, same old. So,I reached for my power shoes, my happy over-the-top fuchsia heels that I discuss in my shoe webisode. I really do try my best to practice what I preach!
STRUT IT.
By the time I drove to my first meeting, my entire day had changed and I felt like a million bucks. Everywhere I went, those power heels plus my positive attitude helped me envision that the world was my catwalk. Now, today- I had a casual morning meeting and was able to come straight back home to work in my yoga pants – even if I’m still cranky and needing a nap- I’m strutting on the inside because I am doing my part by posting this blog with the intention that it will help YOU. You may not be wearing power heels and running through the kitchen after your toddler, but in your mind- you can be strutting your stuff sista because you are a great mama! You may be stuck on the computer for hours at work, but instead of slumping over, pull those shoulders back and STRUT IT knowing that you are making your deadline! Wherever you are in life… STRUT IT!
IT’S A STATE OF MIND.
Before we can ‘own it’ on the outside, we have to change the way we think and rise up on the inside.
WHO’S READY TO STRUT IT?
Let’s start a movement.. a mentality makeover movement. Share this and tweet with hashtag #SOSstrut!
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Wishing you a beautifully blessed weekend. Unplug from technology and plug in to quality time with those you love.. and yourself. Take some time to pamper yourself.
Love, Tiff
P.S. Have you gotten your FREE affirmations book called “Set it, Say it, Strut it” yet? Don’t miss out! Hop over to www.tiffanyhendra.com and sign up to the mailing list.
P.S.S Don’t forget, the Just Fabulous Event with Jessica Youngblood is only a week away on March 22nd in Plano. Click HERE to find out more!
What does this day represent to you? To me, Valentine’s Day is “a day for the exchange of tokens of affection”. A kiss, a hug, a card, a smile, a wink, a pinch on the bootie, some chocolates, a phone call…whatever it is that expresses your affection and appreciation for those we love. As a little girl, my mom made a big deal out of Valentine’s Day and always surprised us with a beautiful card, maybe a cute necklace or earrings and plenty of candy. I will always cherish those memories!
Really, every day is Valentine’s Day – but, with the rush of life it is easy to overlook those little love tokens.
February 14th helps us to refocus on LOVE. We all speak a different Love Language– words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time and physical touch– viaThe 5 Love Languages, a must read book! In order to have strong & healthy relationships, it’s important to take the time to learn what love language your loved ones speak, but the thing we are all unified in understanding is simple KINDNESS. Webster’s definition of Kindness: “the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate”. Whether you are single and hanging out with your girlfriends tonight or have a romantic evening planned with a special someone- let’s celebrate each other by showing MORE loving kindness.
This week I have been the recipient of an outpouring of LOVING KINDNESS and feel so blessed. I’ve been living in Dallas for 2 months now and have been embraced with open arms by so many wonderful people. The stereotype to describe peeps in the South as having “Southern Hospitality” is the honest truth. Wednesday, I was invited to join a table full of some of Dallas’ most fabulous (seen in photo above clockwise L to R) LeeAnne Locken, Karen Lukin, Christopher Wright, Steve Kemble, Dawn Belcher Neufeld, Jennifer Buxton, Jayne Chobot Herring – and Allyson Aynesworth & Hamilton Sneed (not shown) at the 30th Annual Saint Valentine’s Day Luncheon & Fashion Show raising funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s. It was so refreshing to experience no ego & unconditional love at this table. As we shared lunch, love tokens and laughs- it was stated that our “friends are the family we get to choose”. So true.
On this final day of 2013, I encourage you to take some time to close your eyes and give thanks for last year. Give thanks for the blessings as well as the hardships because ultimately the tough times turn to blessings. SAY WHAT TIFF? Yes, the tough times become blessings in the form of lessons learned, wisdom and strength! We do not gain strength and wisdom when everything is easy breezy. Also, take the time to get alone and write out your 2014 intentions, goals, resolutions and COMMITMENTS. Most people putter out and give up on their resolutions by the end of January so I prefer to think of them in terms of commitments and intentions. We make commitments to our loved ones nearly everyday and feel awful when we don’t keep them. Being committed equals being dedicated, faithful, devoted and loyal.
WHAT COMMITMENTS DO YOU NEED TO MAKE TO YOURSELF IN 2014?
Go beyond the simple goal setting of “I want to workout more” and set to goal/intention with details like “I will workout for 45 minutes, 4 times a week”. Make your goals doable so you stay motivated. Take the time to really think about how you want 2014 to look. Do you want to lose weight, have more confidence, build deeper friendships with people, land new clients for your business? Recently, I read this about goal setting and loved it:
CONCEIVE>BELIEVE>ACHIEVE>RECEIVE!!!
Focus on the outcome of you fulfilling your goals. See the end result and RECEIVE the weight loss, RECEIVE more confidence, RECEIVE deeper friendships, RECEIVE more clients!
I would love to hear what your 2013 highlight was!
PLEASE MAKE A COMMENT + SHARE.
Obviously, my personal highlight was moving to Texas, but the highlight of SOS was leading my first live workshop in Vegas for the Rising Phoenix Charitable Foundation’s Annual Gala which raises funds for our friend Sam Childer’s (aka The Machinegun Preacher) and Angels Of East Africa as well as The Shade Tree Women’s Shelter. I’m looking forward to working with more women in person and putting on several workshops in 2014.
That’s one of my big new year commitments!
I pray over this community and for each of you to have a blessed year full of health, happiness, beauty, style and commitments + goals received!
REMINDER: I will be taking new mentoring/coaching clients in January. If you are serious about committing and investing in yourself, please take advantage of my offer of COMPLIMENTARY 15 MINUTE SKYPE OR PHONE CONSULTATIONS through Wed, Jan 15th. If you are interested, please feel out the contact form on the SERVICES PAGE. Those who take advantage of this January consultation will receive a 25% discount on all packages or single sessions. *If you are not committed to your personal growth, a coach or mentor will not help you. Again, serious inquiries only!
Let me start off by saying that I am here to write about beauty-this is my agreed upon agenda. And as a licensed esthetician, I know a thing or two about beauty. So here we go…
I’m Natalie. I am your typical girl, well, to be clear; I am your typical tomboy slash girl. Growing up I would fight with my mother to wash my hair, and all hell would break loose if she caught me digging out my dirty clothes from the hamper to do the trusty “re-wear”.
So it’s actually a little funny that I am here to talk beauty, but life has its beautiful twists and turns.
As a kid, I would watch my big sister do her (what I thought to be mystical and enigmatic) fashion and make-up rituals. It was as if I was watching spirits being called down in a Native American fire dance or something. It was just so mysterious to witness for someone such as myself that was more of the likes of perfecting the art of rounding third base. She was so sophisticated and graceful. As I got older I started to see other kinds of beautiful as well.
And it had nothing to do with product, the latest miracle whatever or overpriced red-bottomed shoes.
It all started when I was 13 traveling the world as a missionary. I was part of a team that helped build homes, provide and prepare food, and gave clothing to families in need. I was able to see through all the barriers and experience the beauty in these people for who they were, how they lived, and the texture of their struggle, which made them beautiful.
As I was doing my best to bring solace to these less fortunate, they also provided me with something-an exhilarating joy and peace that only comes from serving others and giving back.
Cut to a few months back, I had the privilege of performing a facial treatment on a new client. She was a tiny woman with the biggest, sweetest spirit. I walked back in the treatment room from allowing her to change before the service, and was shocked to see that she had removed her wig. Her hair was wiry, patchy, and grayed in some spots-but I didn’t react or comment. I draped her hair like I would at the start of any facial and simply began. She was gripping the wig in her hands to the point that her knuckles could arguably have been turning white. I then sensed that this wig must have become such a protective piece of armor. And it was in this moment my heart was touched by her. By the end of the facial she was no longer gripping her wig. She had trusted me and was completely relaxed and was able to fall asleep -so much so, that she was snoring sweetly.
I felt honored to be able to provide service for this woman (who was a cancer survivor as she explained to me later). The uncomfortable realization that I have never had to sit in a doctor’s office to receive a life threatening diagnosis stirred something inside me. It hit me like a runaway train. I have never had to walk in those shoes, and yet, my experience with her for this brief time was completely life affirming. She touched me. I’m not really even sure why. As my client she was kind and thankful for my service and extremely pleasant. She was so beautiful on the inside in spite of the remaining effects of her pain. So beautiful in what she had endured. In that moment she was beautiful to me. She brought back for me the feeling I had serving others in those far away lands. The feeling of connecting with another human being came back to me with such a fierce familiarity.
And once again I am experiencing the glorious confusion of who is actually being of service to whom. She made a difference in my life. I will never forget that exchange.
Living in the land of the “beautiful people” I know that beauty comes in many forms, but I strongly believe it all starts from within. The mandate for my life is not only bringing beauty to people by external means with new technologies, and cutting-edge technique, my goal is to also refresh the spirit. I pray every morning to bring beauty to the spirit of everyone I touch-so they leave feeling more beautiful and at peace after they leave me. I want to live my life like that as well.
I want to leave the world more beautiful than when I found it.
Shifting gears a bit; I feel that one of the most important issues in the beauty industry today is the lie we believe about ourselves. We are inundated with the lie that we are not enough, and we believe it over and over again. Little girls are growing up feeling inadequate-too fat, too short, eyes are too big, nose not perfect…and these lies are dangerous. These lies are killing us. The beauty industry is a 59.8 billion dollar industry in the US alone. So it is clear we all desperately desire to see beauty through our view. And I am by no means trying to bring profit loss to this industry. BUT I think we can redirect the way people see themselves. We can reaffirm the beauty within us. We can embrace the inherited diversity that lies within and that is brought to life by existing with others. The difference that gives one little girl signature freckles and another little girl slanted almond shaped eyes IS the definition of beauty.
We need to re-approach the beauty industry from a place of celebration and not from a place of fear.
I find it my personal mission to be on the forefront of that redirection and reconnection to the beauty that exists in all of us.I am here to take a stand for every person I encounter to help transform his or her negative view. And I have no problem doing it one by every single one.
Natalie is a board certified licensed esthetician and the owner of Corpus Dei Perfumes, which retails in Los Angeles (www.corpusdeiperfumes.com). Her creative cup runneth over as she feels it is a blessing to be able to combine her skincare credentials with her nutrition background, and ultimately tie in her knowledge of essential oils all for the result of healing, beautifying and ultimate personal enrichment. Natalie truly feels that our body is our temple. We must create the space for us to want to come sit within ourselves and attract others to want to visit as well.
Any questions, comments or information on Natalie:
This past weekend I had the privilege of being part of one of the most spectacular weekends EVER! The Gerard Butler GALS and the Rising Phoenix Charitable Foundation’s Annual Fundraising Gala in Las Vegas. This event raises money for the Angels of East Africa (the orphanage we visited in Sudan a few years ago) and The Shade Tree which shelters women, children and their pets. Last year, my husband and his band performed at the event and I was invited to join as a guest speaker this year. Our connection came via our friend Sam Childers aka The Machinegun Preacher whom actor Gerard Butler portrayed in the movie. I knew this was going to be a great weekend, but– WHOA BABY, it blew my headscarf right off my head and far exceeded my expectations.
I want to thank ALL the wonderful women of GB Gals and RPCF for inviting me and I look forward to making a difference alongside you ladies for years to come!
I instantly felt part of the amazing sisterhood these women have created and was greeted with so many warm hugs. They call themselves “boobie squishers”. I joined right in on the boobie squishing and fell in love with these women. On Friday, I led an SOS workshop on Compassion/Connection/Confidence + Courage and soon found out that this encouraging group and the connection it has provided rescued many of the women from various circumstances in their lives. We laughed, we cried and I am grateful for their transparency and open hearts. A few weeks ago, I wrote about “connection” here on the blog and witnessed it’s affects right in front of my eyes over the course of the 72 hour love fest. SO BEAUTIFUL! These women are genuine instruments of love and compassion.
I have so many new sistas for life!
{SOS Workshop}
On Saturday, we all visited The Shade Tree where several of the GALS did volunteer work and fed lunch. Sam’s wife, Lynn, spoke to the women and shared her personal testimony and my husband and bandmate Irwin Thomas sang for the women and their children. We also got a tour of the entire facility by the beautiful soul, Marlene Richter– Executive Director of TST. To end our visit, we got to hold and show love to a few of the pets over in Noah’s House, the animal shelter. TST is filled with so much love, hope and opportunity for healing. I encourage you to take a deeper look and visit their site. They are always in need of everything from donations, clothing, toiletries, diapers, toys, bedding and pet food. Please go to this link for a detailed list of urgent needs: http://www.theshadetree.org/UrgentNeeds.html
{Visiting The Shade Tree w/ Lynn Childers + Marlene Richter, Ex. Director}
{GB Gal Melissa adding a bit of color + happiness to TST sleeping areas}
A visual that left a deep impression on my heart was seeing just a small bag or two underneath the bunkbeds. This is all these women own. Talk about putting things into crystal clear perspective! TST accommodates women and their children for emergency care when they need a safe place for a night or two as well as providing transitional shelter programs for up to 2 years. The women receive assistance with finding employment and helping them move forward in becoming self-sufficient.
Noah’s Animal House is a pet sanctuary for shelter residents which allow women to escape abusive situations without leaving behind their pet. In homes where there is violence, pets are often threatened or injured by the violent partner. It is not uncommon for an abuser to continue to control the relationship using the family pet. Noah’s is the first full service facility of its kind located on the grounds of the women’s shelter in the western region of the United States.
{My hubby + his bandmate, Irwin singing for the kids at TST}
{A few of my fab new friends, Kristine aka KB who is an SOS Sista + Sweet Giny}
{Chris Mann, finalist from The Voice performed at the gala}
{AHP performing at the gala}
Do you have your own pillow to lay your head on tonight in a comfy bed with clean sheets? If so, consider yourself richly blessed sista! There are so many women out there without a bed to call their own. They are forced to flee their home because of abuse with only the shirt on their back. Can you imagine fitting everything you own under a 4×6 bunkbed? My heart is so full of love, gratitude and compassion. For the week ahead, let our focus be to appreciate everything in our lives, give gratitude (even for clean sheets) and open our hearts more than ever to those in need. WE ARE ALL SO BLESSED.
This experience is a gift I will cherish forever! If what I shared tugged at your heartstrings, I encourage you to reach out to TST, Angels of East Africa or find a shelter in your area that could use your help.
Please share this post and help me spread awareness. Thank you.
[Celebrating our dear friend 
[GNO with 
[With Heidi & 
With supportive husband, Jon.
Dawn speaking at the 2013 St. Valentine’s Day Fashion Show & Luncheon – sharing her journey and encouraging others to give to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Dawn with her family, including her mom, at the 2014 St. Valentine’s Day Fashion Show & Luncheon when she received the “Heart of Gold” award.
SANCTUARY OF STYLE 