That statistic alone is reason enough for me to Rock the Red Pump and take a stand against HIV/AIDS. Every year on March 10th, the United States recognizes National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. The goal of the day is to unite and educate women and girls about the HIV/AIDS epidemic and its increasing impact.

Last year when Luvvie and I launched The Red Pump Project, all we wanted to do was combine our passion for shoes with the fight against AIDS. This movement has grown from a GChat conversation to a national initiative uniting people all over. As we celebrate The Red Pump Project’s first anniversary, I want to say thanks to everyone who has supported us. It definitely has not gone unnoticed. And, a special shoutout goes to all the bomb blogs that are rocking the red pump widget on their sites today! Y’all know who you are! And, for those who don’t, check the list below:

::fbi:: {feel beautiful inside} the blog | *EssenseVibez | A Day in the Life | A Lady’s Perspective | A Taste of Angel Cake | AAUW | Adventures in Divorce | Aesthetic Design Style | Affrodite | Afrobella | Aisha Turman | Allegory of an Underage Femme Fetale | AroundHarlem.com | Art Aids Art | Artiatesia Deal | AS USUAL | Ask Sassy Scribe | Awesomely Luvvie | BeautySchooled | Belle Noir Magazine | Big. Beautiful. You. | Belle Black Girl Blogging | Black Gives Back | Black is Breezie | Black Vixen Beauty | Black Woman Lost & Found | Bourgie, Interrupted | Brownngirl | C’est La Vie | ChiTown Fashionista | Chronicles of a Skinny Black Girl | Chronicles of an Uppity Chick | Circa 1982: Ramblings of a Little Brown Girl… | Clumps of Mascara | Coming of Age | Curvatude – Living Curvy and Plus Size with Attitude | CurvyGurl Chronicles~ Living La Vida Inspired! | Da Fashionist | Diary of Curvy Jones | Diva Living with AIDS | Divas Ranting | Dream As If You’ll Live Forever | Elbie | Elegant Ignance | Empress Says | Enlightn Me | Enlightn Me Events | Fabulous Moms in Charlotte | Fantastical Randomocity | Fashion. News. Updates. Shoes – Pumpsicle | Fear is no Factor | Feel Free to Answer Your Questions | Finding Me | Flaimahmy Magazine | [Fung'Ke][Blak][Chik]

| Get Yoself Together | Happy Being Me | Having My Cake and Eating It Too | Healthier, Happier, You!!!! | Hey You Asked! | Hope Is Our Path | I’ll Think of a Title Later | I’m Just Teling You How I See It | Idaya Magazine | Idiosyncratic Thoughts of an Unheeded Prophetess | Ifelicious | Illustrocity | Intellectual Soul || Music with an I.Q. | Inverted Reflection | Ironically Aaronica | Island Mompreneur | Jenifer Moore Online | Jenny P. || INSPIRATION | Jessica’s Jewels | La Petite Maitresse | Lady Spin Doctors | Living Outside the Stacks | Luvv Divine | MamaLaw: Evidence for Our Insanity Plea | Max Logic | Megan’s Minute | Miss Jia: She Ain’t For Everybody | Moving Towards Peace | Mrs Windy City UnPluGGed | MsQuitey’s Place | My 927 Charlotte | My Beautiful Cocoon | My Black Girl Site | My Brown Baby | My Legal Belle | My Life – A Work In Progress | My Life…in Pics & Words | My Polar Opposite | Naked and Natural | Negrita’s Chronicles | Nola Girl in Transition | Not So Idle Thoughts and Musings | Nu Kynk | Of Service: A Life Lived for Others Pampered Sweet Tooth | Pigments and Potions | Planting Seeds | Pontificating Brother | Pop Rockets | Pretty Investigations | Project Nefertiti | Random and Pressing Details | Reaching Within | Reads4Pleasure | Reflections of a Gemini Artist | Reina’s Song | rellisonphotography | RSVP Event Planning and Management | Sable Verity | Secret Diaries of a Wannabe Yummy Mammy | Shannon Sez So | Shoes N Booze | Situations with Sassy | So Tenacious | Sojourners Verdad | Stripped | SURRENDERDOROTHYBLOG.COM | Tea and Such | That One Chick | The Anti-Hair Slave | The Atlanta Mompreneur | The Attic of My Mind | The Bead Dreamer | The Beauty XChange | The BlogRollers | The Broken Brown Egg | The Cocoa Diaries | The Essence of Full-Figured Entertainment | The Evolution of the Cubicle Crusaders | The Fabulous Do Gooder | The Fabulous Giver | The Fit Lounge | The FoolProof Diva | The Glamizon Chronicles | The Plus Academy: Ready to Runway | The Sassy Peach | The Single Dame (R) | The Soundtrack of My Life | The Young and Disenchanted | Things Aren’t Always as They Appear | ThinkAct: Proactive Black Blogging | This Ain’t That | Thoughts of a Jersey Girl | Thoughts on Being Seen | Total Life Prosperity Blog | Urban Perspective | Victor Amos Blog | We Are Black Women | A Blog Network With A Positive Difference | What DC People Hate | What Would Thembi Do | Where in the World… | Where My Ladies At? Women in Hip Hop | Whittier Rio Hondo AIDS Project | Wife Mother First Lady | Women of the African Diaspora | Www.krystalgrant.com | XI Magazine Online | Young Lioness

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Now, I’d much rather get a hug or a cool million from Lady O, but beggars (even the fab ones) can’t be choosers. If you’ve always wanted to get a piece of Oprah’s wardrobe, here’s your chance! Harpo is auctioning off over 150 pieces from her personal wardrobe to give you a piece of fab and to raise money for her Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. Items in the collection range from Christian Louboutin boots (size 41) to black Ferragamo bags. This auction is like a fashionista’s dream house. From Prada to Manolo to Carolina Herrera, it’s alllll there! The auction ends on March 11th and all items can be found on her eBay site!

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Photo: Ruven Afanador (Oprah.com)

Am I the only one who feels like this year is just zooming by? I mean, really flying by. March already? Wow! I’ve been buzzing around town meeting great people and attending some educational events and thought I’d give you guys a mini-update, so you don’t think that I ran away from the blog!

Last week, I attended a panel on Sports Philanthropy hosted by the National Association of Black Sports Professionals. It was a great discussion moderated by Scoop Jackson (ESPN), and panelists included former Chicago Bears player Jerry Azumah, Chicago Bulls’ Luol Deng and Halleemah Nash, Joshua Mercer, Reg Hamlett, and Karl Benson. All of the individuals spoke about their role in supporting the community and some of the challenges associated with starting and/or maintaining a foundation that is relevant, active, and financially stable. I will provide a more in-depth recap over on my Chicago Philanthropy Examiner column this week. But, great job to all the panelists and NABSP for spotlighting philanthropy in sports and particularly Black philanthropy in sports!

Over the past few weeks, I’ve made a more conscious effort to get my patootie out there and really meet more people in my wonderful city. I’ve attended tweetups, including a Blissful Blogette soiree hosted by CRAVE Chicago; had breakfast/coffee with people, including Fred Cadena of Young Professionals of Chicago; and met some great individuals who are working in the fight against HIV/AIDS. That’s right…You know there’s no way that I can do anything these days without thinking of The Red Pump Project or working on behalf of my baby the organization.

Speaking of Red Pump, we will celebrate our first anniversary next week with a host of events, and will officially celebrate on Thursday, March 25th with a fashion show in Chicago. Separate blog post coming soon!

So, TFG family, that’s what I’ve been doing…Not to mention working hard in my new job. Did I tell you guys that I’m no longer an intern? Yep, I’m back in the workforce full-time and in the field that I wanted. I couldn’t be more excited *happy dance*

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Condoms are the ultimate accessory, and Proper Attire condoms takes the concept to the next level by giving them a chic edge and design. Designers like as Yigal Azrouël, Alexander Wang Assorted, Brian Reyes, Keith Haring, and Opening Ceremony have all contributed designs for the cause. Proceeds from the sale of Proper Attire condoms benefit Planned Parenthood of America. You can purchase the condoms online or at Planned Parenthood centers.

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My apartment is in desperate need of a style lift. I’ve lived there for over 4 years, and it still looks like I just moved in. I think the fanciest thing that I’ve done is hang gorgeous purple curtains in the living room and buy some gray/purple/burgundy pillows for my couch. I have always been in a state of transition in that apartment and that has been the sole reason for my lack of decoration. I always feel like I’m about to move or I want to move, so why turn my house into a home?

While I haven’t quite found a place that makes me feel like Tiffany’s*, I think that I’m finally going to try and pull my place together before the spring gets here. That means coming up with a color palette for each room, creating a list of furniture to purchase (a dining room table tops this list), and finally breaking out the paint. When I first moved in, I bought two gallons of paint (deep red and a sienna) to add some warmth to my stark white walls. But, four years later, those gallons are in the closet along with shelves, candles, picture frames, and various other decor pieces that have brought more flair to my closet than my walls.

Well, thanks to the Lavish Giving gift certificate that I won a couple a months ago, I’ve found some vases that I must add to my bedroom. I like the earth tones/turquoise palette for my bedroom, so I am ordering the vases below in turquoise and brown.

Aren’t they great? Aside from being the 2010 color of the year, turquoise is a favorite color of mine because it reminds me of the lake on a sunny day or the ocean. *sigh* I’m looking forward to installing a shelf in the room and adding these guys. I won’t post any before pictures of my apartment but as things start coming together, I will definitely sprinkle some after pics on the site.

NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY! *throws confetti*

I am giving away a $50 gift certificate to Lavish Giving! Lavish Giving has a great selection of gifts, stationary, and, of course, home decor. Even better is the fact that a portion of your total is contributed to a charity of your choice. I plan on donating to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (no surprise there)!

To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is respond in the comments to the question below.

“What’s your favorite way to give your home a quick style lift? Adding pillows? Buying candles? Etc?”

I’m looking forward to reading some of your tips because I’m really need to pull this together asaptually!!! I will randomly select the winner tomorrow at 3p, so make sure that your comment is up before then. Oh, and it sounds simple, but don’t forget to include your email and/or Twitter handle. Good luck, guys!

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*In “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” Holly says that when she finds a place that makes her feel like Tiffany’s (calm and secure), then maybe she’d buy some furniture for her apartment. One of my favorite lines in the whole movie because I understand her COMPLETELY!

The Red Pump Project will be on the Chatterbox Radio show today at 9a CT/10a ET to talk about our “500 in 50″ blogger outreach campaign in recognition of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, and our upcoming first year anniversary events! A huge thank you goes to host, Christie Crowder, who has featured us on her show twice before. We really appreciate the support, Christie!!!

To listen/participate in the show, you can use the following information:

Show Link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/chatterboxradio/2010/02/17/the-red-pump-project-500-in-50-campaign

Call In Number: 347-308-8762

For Valentine’s Day, I decided that I wanted to complete a service project, whether that was volunteering on the weekend or creating something to donate. During the love-themed weekend, I wanted to give a little bit of my own heart and warmth to someone else. So, on Friday afternoon, it hit me! I would create handmade Valentine’s Day cards and deliver to a nursing home, hospital, or some other facility with a similar focus.

Some of our cards!

Thinking locally, I contacted the Ronald McDonald House affiliated with the University of Chicago Hospitals to make sure that they were accepting cards. With an affirmative answer, I did a happy dance and started daydreaming about glitter, construction paper, and glue. Well, I got all of that and more…all over my living room. My sister spent the weekend at my house and we started creating the 22 valentines on Saturday night. Sounds like it would have been easy, but with each card, we challenged ourselves to be more creative, use more glitter, make it bigger, and/or make it smaller. In the end (and on Sunday), we were finally done. Although my apartment looked like a kindergarten class completely went at it, we were delighted!

We had such a great time creating those cards and combining a giving spirit with art. It was a perfect Valentine’s Day on our end! And, we even got to take pictures with Ronald!

I would encourage any and everyone to support a RMHC near them. The houses provide a place for families with ill children to reside while their children complete crucial medical treatments. You (I) wouldn’t want to be far away from your little ones when they are sick, and RMHC makes sure that some families can stay as close as possible during this time. To learn more about the Ronald McDonald House Charities and to find one in your area, you can visit rmhc.org!

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Every now and then, I come across a charity/nonprofit that makes me super giddy, keeps me smiling, and turns me into a lifetime fan/supporter. Glamour Gals is definitely one of those organizations. Launched 10 years ago by Rachel Doyle, the mission of Glamour Gals is to inspire and organize teens to provide ongoing complimentary beauty makeovers to elderly women in nursing homes. *HUGE smile* There are so many positive elements to this organization: the volunteerism, the inter-generational interaction, the belief that beauty knows no age…I could literally go on for awhile.

Rachel and a true glamour gal

Rachel started Glamour Gals when she was 17 as a way to honor her grandmother who’d recently passed. And, ever since then, she and the organization have been featured in publications such as The New York Times, Glamour Magazine, Cosmo Girl, and Newsday. She’s even been on The Oprah Winfrey Show! Glamour Gals continues its work through the participation of many chapters across the country and some awesome volunteers. If you’re in LA, then you should check out GG’s 10th Anniversary Party. Even if you aren’t in sunny LA, the website has a list of ways that you can get involved and show your support.

I spent over two years visiting my mom in a nursing home, and always loved interacting with the other residents. It’s amazing what a visit, kind words, and/or a beauty treatment can do to lift the spirits of those who live in nursing homes. I love, love, love everything about Glamour Gals and look forward to staying in touch with everything this organization has up its beautiful sleeve!

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In its continued support of the American Heart Association and Go Red for Women,  Macy’s is giving us to show our support and save! This weekend, you can save 20% in Macy’s stores when you wear red! No red in your closet? Well, you can purchase a Red Dress pin for $2 (sales to benefit Go Red), and still receive the discount!

If you’re shopping online, use the discount code WEARRED to access the savings! As always, there are some details that you may need to read. Learn what’s included and what’s not included by clicking here!

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Today is “Go Red” day in promotion of women’s heart health! The American Heart Association launched “Go Red” to educate the public about the impact of cardiovascular disease on women. Coronary heart disease, which causes heart attack, is the single leading cause of death for American women. Nearly twice as many women in the United States die of heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases as from all forms of cancer, including breast cancer. This is something that I didn’t learn until last year when I volunteered at the Macy’s Go Red for Women Luncheon. Statistics like this should be more than enough to encourage each us of to ensure that we are living our healthiest life possible.

Know what factors raise your risk and take the Heart Checkup. The Heart Checkup asks you a series of questions, and assesses your risk for cardiovascular disease. If you have a low risk, then keep it that way by incorporating a healthy diet and exercise plan into your lifestyle. If you are at high risk, still do those things but also visit your doctor for a check-up and to develop a plan to address those risk factors.

You can read inspiring stories, learn more about the disease, and find events in your area by visiting goredforwomen.org!

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