Tiny and her Father

It’s no secret that I love Tiny & Toya. Since the first episode, these Southern gals have completely won me over with their friendship and sweet personalities. One of my favorite things about the show is how they chronicle Mr. Charles’ (Tiny’s dad) battle against Alzheimer’s. We watch how she and her mom handle his fleeting memory and other challenges that the disease presents.

In a recent episode, Tiny decides to host a benefit for Alzheimer’s research, and to launch a foundation in her dad’s honor and in memory of T.I.’s father, who passed away from the disease. The foundation, called For the Love of Our Fathers, will help fund research, as well as provide financial assistance for families living with Alzheimer’s. I love everything about this idea, and I’m glad to see these two making this happen.

If you haven’t seen an episode yet, then I definitely think that you should check the show out. The way that they depict her family and this situation is very honest and real. Thank you, Tiny, for opening up about this part of your family’s life.

To learn more about the disease, you can visit alz.org.

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It’s always cool when people do creative and fun ways to raise money and awareness about important issues. I learned about Roadshow Blondes from a Twitter pal of mine, Jayme (@jaymelamm), who is also one-half of the duo behind Charity Chicks Houston. Jayme and her friend, Aimee, decided that they needed a break from life and decided to take a roadtrip for charity. On Thursday, the ladies left Houston and hit the road North. Their end destination is NYC (arriving April 8th), but they will be making stops in various cities along the way!

Jayme and Aimee are using this trip to benefit The Jed Foundation, the nation’s leading organization working to reduce emotional distress and prevent suicide among college students. This is a very important mission considering the fact that 1 in 10 college students has considered suicide.

As with any road trip, this one wouldn’t be complete without stories and fun tales. In addition to the normal diner visits and motel stays, the “Blondes” are also planning to perform various challenges along the way, including “milk a cow” and “perform a rap song n video” to help raise more funds. To follow along, you can check their website (www.roadshowblondes.com) and their Twitter page (@roadshowblondes) for updates. To donate directly to The Jed Foundation, click here.

Good luck, Jayme and Aimee…I’m enjoying the updates and have fun!

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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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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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Zoé Klutch’s line of cute and custom clutches provide a unique and thoughtful gift to favorite ladies. The clutches are created with a t-shirt on the outside and are lined with working denim pockets, combining function plus style.

As a holiday special, all the clutches in her Etsy shop are 25-40% off. Rather be unique? You can also create a custom clutch and from now until December 31st, buy one and get one half off! To create a custom clutch, shoot an email over to kristi@isabelladean.com. Note: If you want the clutch by the holidays, she must receive the shirts by December 4th!

Not only are the clutches eco-friendly but there’s a charitable concept. Until the end of the year, five percent of each sale will benefit the Alzheimer’s Association in honor of the Kristi’s grandmother who has been living with the illness for eight years.

These clutches are such a cute way to repurpose all those tees that you (and I) have laying around the house. College was four years of partying, studying and t-shirts. These super cute clutches would make great gifts for my college friends and would help me clear out some drawer space. Agree?

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La Rabida Hospital (SaintJohnsAbbey.org)

Tomorrow from 6-9p, La Rabida Children’s Hospital is opening their beautiful grounds to host “Summerfest 2009,” an outdoor concert to help raise funds for their Child Advocacy Center (CAC).

The CAC is a safe, child-friendly environment for children who have experienced psychological trauma and for alleged victims of sexual abuse and other violent crimes. All of crucial services are provided for free to the children and their families. THAT is why it’s so important to support this department!

The Summerfest will feature live performances from local talent, while spreading word of CAC’s commitment and service throughout the community. Tickets are $10 in advance and $20 at the door. You can purchase them by clicking this link. I don’t need many excuses to listen to live music on the lakefront, so I definitely plan on attending. Grab a ticket. Grab some friends. Come on out and help this GREAT cause!

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Four years ago, my former professor/mentor said to me, “You know one thing that I never saw coming? Wearing t-shirts with random sayings on them. I just don’t get it.” And, we had a great laugh about it. But, in all actuality, tees with catchphrases or eye-grabbing logos/designs have virtually cemented themselves in our society. I mean, how many different versions of Obama shirts exist in the world?

From school pride to peaceful demonstrations, here is a posting of some of my favorite tees out here raising money for some great causes!

Save The Tatas

These sassy tees not only draw attention to the wearer but they also raise breast cancer awareness in a fearless way. Five percent of all sales of the tees will be donated to The Save the Ta-Tas Foundation. Proud partners of the Concern Foundation and the Revlon Run/Walk for Women, the foundation exists for the advancement of cancer awareness, education and prevention, and to aid in the fight to find a cure. You can find this shirt and more at www.savethetatas.com!

Gold Metallic Tank, $25.95

First Lady High

This tee is not just a nod to Whitney M. Young High School, the oh-so-great institution responsible for First Lady Michelle Obama’s high school education, but is also a fashionable means to raise scholarship funds for the students. WY alum and Redefine the Tee owner, Monique Spence, created the shirts to give back in a proud way. As a WY alum myself, I’ve decided that I must have one of these tees. Browse the collection at www.redefinethetee.com.

First Lady High Tee, $35

peacepower

The eco-friendly tees playfully display the peace symbol with hopes that you will help spread awareness about world causes. The tees are 100% organic and the company is working on being completely green. For every shirt sold, the company donates 1% to Doctors Without Borders. If you’re looking for one of these crafted tees, you will either have to locate a retailer nearest you OR send the company an email to arrange a transaction (via MC, Visa, or Paypal).

Peace Cap Tee, $34

Common Threadz

Common Threadz’ plan is pretty simple. For every tee that you purchase, they will provide a school uniform to a child in Africa. For the most part, children are required to wear uniforms and sometimes something that seems simple to us can stand in the way of an education. The t-shirt designs are often done by artists, but in the case of the shirt below, the children in Africa also lend their talents to the cause. You can learn more about Common Threadz, as well as view the collection here.

Designed by Thatdo Zonndi, $38

Have a cool tee that I missed? Email me a pic…I’d love to see them and share!

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This weekend, LaLa Vasquez, the host of Charm School, tipped her hat to charity in two great and fabulous ways. First, she put her super-fabulous 2006 custom pink Range Rover up for auction, in order to raise funds for US Doctors for Africa.

The current bid on the SUV is $27,100, and the auction closes on June 21. For the details and to place your bid, click here.

Now, yesterday, she embraced her inner glam punk goddess and shaved off the side of her head, in a remix to a style displayed by singer, Cassie, a few weeks ago!

LaLa posted a picture on Twitter, and also stated that she donated the shaved hair to “Locks of Love,” an organization which makes and provides wigs for disadvantaged children living with long-term illnesses.

I’ve always been a big fan of Lala’s, so I’m very happy to give her a TFG thumbs up for her charitable deeds!

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Brooke Printed Caftan, $268

The Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation has partnered with Lilly Pulitzer clothing to commemorate their 50 years with “A Colorful Cause” Collection. The EBMRF is a volunteer, non-profit foundation dedicated to helping medical scientists learn more about epidermolysis bullosa, a group of diseases characterized by blister formation after minor trauma to the skin. Individuals with EB have extremely fragile skin, as any trauma will cause chronic sores, and most individuals affected by the disease have little hope of living past 30 years.

The Lilly Pulitzer Spring ‘09 line will feature clothing designed for adults and children by Brooke Shields, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bridget Moynahan, Catherine Bell, Angie Harmon, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Marcia Cross and Debra Messing. You can find the collection at Lilly Pulitzer stores and online at www.lillypulitzer.com.  A percentage of the sales from these designs will go to the EBMRF and Lilly Pulitzer has also made a generous donation to the organization.

Here are some of my favorite pieces from the collection:

Paltrow Print Bikini, $178

So Cal Solid Shift, $298

Regency Strapless Bubble Dress, $268