Savoring Summer Style

It's time to start thinking about summer and I can't imagine a better way to kick it off than with a girls' night out!  Let's sip, savor and style it up at Houndstooth in Eden Prairie on April 26th from 7-10pm.  I will be pouring some great spring wine selections and there will be plenty of gorgeous fashions to get you excited about the upcoming season.  And to top it off you get 20% off all night while a portion of it goes to charity, it doesn't get any better than that!

So come on out to celebrate what a fabulous evening White Peacock Styled Events has put together for you! This is one you will not want to miss!

You can RSVP by calling, going to the website at www.houndstoothboutique.com or logging onto Facebook and responding "YES!" to the invitation featured on their page.  

And don't forget..

Children's Defense Fund- Beat the Odds

On Friday, March 16th The Children's Defense Fund will host it's 20th annual charity event at The Depot in Minneapolis.  It proves to be a spectacular night raising funds that go to one of the most important causes I can imagine- America's youth.  


"The Children's Defense Fund (CDF) is a non-profit child advocacy organization that has worked relentlessly for over 35 years to ensure a level playing field for all children. We champion policies and programs that lift children out of poverty; protect them from abuse and neglect; and ensure their access to health care, quality education and a moral and spiritual foundation. Supported by foundation and corporate grants and individual donations,CDF advocates nationwide on behalf of children to ensure children are always a priority."

"...The Children's Defense Fund grew out of the Civil Rights Movement under the leadership of Marian Wright Edelman, the first Black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar.  Mrs. Edelman directed the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund office in Jackson, Miss.; worked with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as counsel for his Poor People's Campaign; and dedicated her early career to defending the civil liberties of people struggling to overcome poverty and discrimination. In 1969, Mrs. Edelman began the Washington Research Project, a public interest law firm that monitored federal programs for low-income families and, out of that initiative, she founded the Children's Defense Fund in 1973.

Yet, in the wealthiest nation on earth, millions of children still do not get the head start in life they need and the opportunities to fulfill their God-given potential. That is why we must continue to be a loud and persistent voice for every child..."

The final line of CDF's mission statement was enough to hook me.  It says it all.  How can the wealthiest nation on the planet leave so many kids behind?  How is poverty so rampant (right now 1 in 10 Minnesotan's are at risk of missing a meal) in a nation that is so fortunate?  You have the power to do your part, no matter how big or how small.  Educate yourself on what this amazing non-profit is doing for our kids- yes, OUR kids.  Our nation's future.  Participate, get involved, get informed.  www.cdf-mn.org

I hope to see you there!

*all quotes taken from www.cdf-mn.org.

Angels Among Us...

My aunt, Margie Sborov is a real life angel.

In 2001, Margie founded Angel Foundation to assist cancer patients with non medical needs. Out of work due to chemo and need money or assistance in buying groceries? Has your mortgage lapsed because you have been too sick? Need to find counseling for the kids because they are so devastated with the prognosis that has been handed to you by this horrific disease?

Enter Angel Foundation.


Margie Sborov, founder of Angel Foundation


This year Angel Foundation celebrates 10 years of helping cancer patients and their families, and Margie has certainly earned her wings. As a teenager, Margie lost her boyfriend to leukemia and knew she would never be the same again. "It is in my soul to help these people", she says as she works tirelessly to help ease the pain of these patients and their families.

Mr. C and I also lost a dear friend to leukemia in 2000. It is difficult to comprehend what this disease does not only do to the body, but the spirit, until you are forced to witness it first hand. Complete devastation, not only to the patient, but those around them does not even begin to describe what cancer is capable of. Christian was a young man with an extremely small family, he was not married and did not have children. I often think about how his disease would have affected a wife, small children, his ability to provide for a family emotionally and financially and how an organization such as Angel Foundation could have benefited him. This disease is all consuming and evil at every stage, and unfortunately in many cases, unforgiving. After being in and out of hospitals for the better part of a year, our friend Christian could not function, let alone work. His final stay at the Stanford hospital was four months long, and he never returned home to put his affairs in order. He passed away on May 29th, 2000. Each year we make a donation in his name to Angel Foundation, and this year we will again attend the Angel Awards to honor those that fight for cancer patients and their families.

Everyone knows someone that has passed away or is living with cancer right now. Honor that person and those that have fought to help them Saturday, January 22nd, at the The Angel Awards at the Minneapolis Hilton.

Christian Dehon

March 26th, 1970- May 29th, 2000

A Different Kind of Holiday Gift

If you don't have money, give your time. If you don't have time, give some money. Hopefully each year you are able to allocate a little bit of one or another (or both!) to a charitable cause that touches your heart and motivates you to give back. If you are struggling with where to give your time or money, below are just a few suggestions that affect our local community and beyond.

PACER, RAINN, Cornerstone, March of Dimes, Boys and Girls Clubs, Special Olympics, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, The Red Cross, Susan G. Komen Foundation and The Make a Wish Foundation are just a small handful that would greatly appreciate your time or donation.

And a few of my favorites that we contribute to each year-

In tough economic times, one of the biggest issues our nation, and surprisingly, our immediate community faces is hunger. Second Harvest Heartland is working to "reinvent hunger relief through leadership and innovation...not only helping hungry neighbors today, but providing the means for everyone to be fed tomorrow." You can donate a bag or bags of food directly to Second Harvest, you can give them a tax deductible donation, or they can link you with a local food shelf, soup kitchen, homeless shelter, senior community, or a children's after school program that is in need of volunteers.

I don't know one person that has not been affected by cancer. In 2001, the Angel Foundation was created right here in Minneapolis by my aunt, Margie Sborov. Angel Foundation provides financial assistance for adult cancer patients to meet critical non-medical needs, as well as education and support programs to families who have a parent with cancer. You can donate directly to this foundation, or you can attend one of it's many annual fundraising events. The 10th annual Angel Awards will be held January 22, 2011 at the Minneapolis Hilton. Put on your cocktail apparel, bid on some great items and dance away the night all in the name of a great cause!

Another wonderful local charity is Abbey's Hope. Named after Abigail Taylor, a vivacious 6 year old girl who was unnecessarily disemboweled in a kiddy pool in the summer of 2007, Abbey's Hope "works fiercely and passionately to safeguard kids, both in and out of the pool, against preventable harm." Abbey's parents, Scott and Katey Taylor work tirelessly in her name to carry out little Abbey's last hope- that what happened to her will never happen to another child. Read Abbey's story and how your charitable donation to this very special foundation can help save lives in the future.

Education. Your charitable dollars will never be turned away when it comes to education. In my community we have the Edina Education Fund which is an independent non-profit organization "dedicated to the continued academic excellence" in our public schools. Whether you support public or private education, the kids are our future. Time and money are always needed and we all have something we can contribute to our education system.

Whatever cause you feel is important to support, there is a foundation for you. Whether you want to work to eliminate hunger, help contribute to curing cancer or making life easier for someone that suffers from the disease, help kids, contribute to furthering education,- just pick a cause. Everyone has something to give.