When in Rome (& Updates)

Ugh.  I've sucked at this lately.

In my defense, I warned the blogosphere that I may be a horrible blogger for the next couple months.  Seriously, I feel a wave of guilt on a daily basis about my neglect.  I have to remind myself of my hiarchy for the next couple months though; school first, myself second, and then all the fun things in life third. 

Yes, I have put myself second.  You can witness this by my catepillar eyebrows and my record breaking number of split ends.  However, I did recently start working out regularly agian.   Pat myself of the back for that one.

Even though I haven't been blogging, I AM STILL TAKING ORDERS!!  I know the weather is warming up for most, but shout out to all of you New Englanders: You got tons of snow, so you better keep warm with a Caring Cowl!

I will also turn your attention to the right of your monitor for the newest organization!  Thank you for helping me pick Action Against Hunger!  It is a great cause and I can't wait to write another check!

Enough ranting, here is an outfit I wore back before Christmas while visiting my parents.  There was tons and tons and tons of snow!  Up there, if I don't want to lose a toe to frostbite, I make sure to wear tons of layers and fuzzy boots.  Yes, I may not go parading around the mall in this outfit, but it was mandatory in these conditions.  When in Rome, right?

Hat: Old

Flannel: Old Navy

Vest: Land's End (Old)

Jeans: American Eagle

Boots: Old

Did I mention I love my pups?

 

I Need Your Help

I am proud to announce that Caring Cowls ended 2012 with a BANG!  On December 31, 2012, Caring Cowls donated $300.00 to the American Cancer Society!  I honestly cannot believe I was able to fund $600.00 since September.

Thank you for all your support!  I literally got teary eyed the other day thinking about the impact that has been made and about the many wonderful people who support this cause.

Now, I am looking for the next charity to fund for!  In order to do this, I decided to request the help of all of my readers to decide the who should be the next lucky charity.  I have listed three very worthy contenders below, and included their mission statements.  There is a poll at the bottom of this post to submit your answer, but, if you have any other charities you think are deserving, please let me know in the comments!  

Hearts In Motion

I actually participated in a HIM mission trip a couple of years ago.  It was the most humbling experience of my life.  Here are some pictures of my time in Guatemala.

This was at a dump...aka the kids' playground and place to find food.

One of the orphans at a center that tried to provide for the malnourished.

One of the booths at a clinic we held.  People would wait for hours to get some Vitamin C and Tylenol.

The mission of Hearts In Motion is to provide care and medical treatment for children, families, and communities through its programs and sponsorships in the U.S., and Central and South America. An additional goal is to provide opportunities for individuals to participate in short-term mission experiences. The impact of the trip experience on each team member is at least as great as the impact on the lives of the people we touch. Many lives are changed.

Keep a Child Alive

http://keepachildalive.org/media/photos/

Keep a Child Alive is dedicated to providing life-saving anti-retroviral treatment, care and support services to children and families whose lives have been affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India by directly engaging the global public in the fight against AIDS. What started as a very personal incident between two mothers has become a tremendous initiative for change. With over 4,000 children and family members on ARV treatment, over 250,000 people under our care, three orphanages receiving funding, and major clinic sites in expansion, Keep a Child Alive is making a direct impact in the lives of so many who need help.

Action Against Hunger

This photo is from my HIM trip but I felt it would is accurate for ACF.

Action Against Hunger | ACF-USA is part of the ACF International Network, an agency established specifically to combat global hunger. The mission of Action Against Hunger is to save lives by eliminating hunger through the prevention, detection, and treatment of malnutrition, especially during and after emergency situations of conflict, war and natural disaster. From crisis to sustainability, we tackle the underlying causes of malnutrition and its effects by using our expertise in nutrition, food security, water and sanitation, health and advocacy. By integrating our programs with local and national systems we further ensure that short-term interventions become long-term solutions.

What charity should Caring Cowls fund for next?

Hearts in Motion http://www.heartsinmotion.org

Keep a Child Alive http://keepachildalive.org

Action Against Hunger http://www.actionagainsthunger.org

Create your own poll

Giveaway Winner and More!

And we have a winner!  Congratulations to Melissa from Sweet Style by Melissa for winning the Malin Cross Bracelet from Peace Love Flair! I hope you enjoy it.

In other giveaway news, check out my bestie’s blog Twenties Girl Style and enter her Favorite Things Giveaway!  It is a huge giveaway, which includes a $30.00 gift certificate to Caring Cowls!  So everybody get your computer mice a-clickin’ and enter!

My latest outfit post is one of my favorites.  I fell in love with this elephant scarf from the Gap a couple of months ago.  For those of you that know me, I am a big fan of elephants so whenever I can get them on a piece of clothing I take advantage of it.  I also love love love all my skinnies from Ann Taylor Loft.  The perfect fit I tell ya!  In my opinion, this outfit is perfect to brighten up a cold fall/winter day.

Kobe looking adorable as always

My fantastic photographer :)

I'm sure this will be my last post before Christmas, so Merry Christmas all!  I hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday.  I am going up to my parents house tomorrow.  They have so much snow, I am so excited! 

200 Follower Giveaway!

Yay, another milestone!  Thank you all for helping me get here and supporting Caring Cowls!  (Check out the increase in amount raised for the American Cancer Society ->)  I was going to do an outfit post with this giveaway, however I had just come off a major study binge and you can tell in the pictures (ick).  Oh well, all I really wanted to do was to showcase this fantastic bracelet I am giving away from Peace Love Flair.  This fellow entrepreneur has some great pieces, and I fell in love with her Malin Cross Bracelet.  It's so perfect!  I love that it is a simple bracelet that still makes a statement.  It is great for wearing by itself, or layering with other arm candy.  I have already worn this bracelet tons of times, and I just got it!

Make sure to follow all the Rafflecopter steps to enter!  Also, checkout the Peace Love Flair store and blog.  Good luck to you all, and happy Tuesday! (This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Year's Resolutions for the Overachievers

Here is a little fact about me:  I tend to overextend myself very often.  I like to call myself a “chronic multitasker”.  For example, there is rarely a time when I just sit and watch TV.  I usually will become very fidgety and need to do something with my hands.  I will admit I can be a very frustrating movie date.  To further my point, here is what I am currently doing in my life: working full time, volunteering, trying to run a business (and in the process of making it an official non-profit!), collaborating with other businesses/bloggers, and taking an extremely time consuming and difficult MCAT course.  Plus, I do not function well on less than 7 hours of sleep/night.  Exhaustion and siestas will always win our battles.

Why am I telling you this?  My reasons are two-fold: First, I am trying to give myself an excuse for being a horrible blogger.  I always look at my favorite blogs and am amazed by people’s talent and the amount of time they are able to give.  To all whom this applies to: I applaud you! 

Second, I recently went to a meeting at my job about how to keep a New Year’s resolution.  At first I was skeptical (what really did they have to say?).  However I learned a lot of helpful tools for those that like to overextend themselves:

1)      Make small, specific goals throughout the year, instead of one broad resolution on January 1^st.  For example, instead of making a resolution to run a marathon, start with making the goal to run two to three times a week and work your way up.

2)      Make only one resolution, this way you do not get overwhelmed (I will not be following this one).

3)      Make your resolution before January 1^st.  If you make it on December 20^th, you will have time to plan your smaller goals and how you will manage your time.

4)      Don’t get discouraged!  If you fall down don’t give up!  Pick yourself back up and get back on track!

Here is a list of my goals with my more specific goals (I call them goals instead of resolutions, I don’t know why):

1)      Utilize my time better so I am a more efficient studier.

a.       Make daily plans of exactly what homework and studying I am going to do, then complete it!

2)      Kick the MCAT’s booty!

a.       See #1

3)      Become religious with Insanity workouts again.

a.       Just make it another day with Shawn T.

4)      Improve my Spanish skills.  Spanish was my minor and I am still horrible at it…money well spent.

a.       Learn one new word per day and practice with Spanish speakers.

5)      Improve Caring Cowls.

a.       Make it an official NPO, improve the website, improve the blog, network, these goals can go on and on and on.  Oh, and save the world!

Seriously, why aren’t there 30 hours in the day?

Color Blocking

Happy Friday everyone!  Three weeks from today I will be heading back to my hometown for Christmas, YIPEEE!  I haven’t been back for a while and am quite excited. 

These pictures are quite old, and I took them primarily to showcase this Double Wrap Caring Cowl.  It is one of my favorites, I think the colors are gorgeous together and I used a different yarn so it has a beautiful shimmer.  This is also the first cowl that I color blocked; I love how the pattern turned out. 

I have been so blessed to have a successful first year with Caring Cowls.  I have been so busy that I have literally sold every cowl I have made.  I haven’t made any for myself, my neck is so cold!  Maybe after the Christmas season I can whip one up and stash it away…  Thank you to all that have supported me thus far!  Of course, I plan to keep taking orders, but with the holiday spirit in the air I am particularly thankful!

Cowl- Caring Cowls

Tee- Loft

Leggings- Kohl’s 

Shoes- TOMS 

Quickie

Sweater: Old Navy similar

Dress: Target

Leggings: Kohl's

Boots: Macy's

This look is called my It-was-the-day-after-Thanksgiving-and-I-had-to-work-but-I-didn't-want-to-put-on-pants-so-I-decided-to-wear-long-layers-and-lots-of-patterns-so-hopefully-noone-notices-that-I-am-breaking-dress-code.  As of right now, my little plan worked!  I was so not wanting to work so I threw my hair into lazy bun and wore minimum makeup.  I was sooo cozy in this oversized sweater that I bought last year.

When it comes to the blogging community, most of us can be considered (clean) blog eskimo sisters.  We all follow the same blogs for the most part, so I'm sure some of you have seen the dress I am wearing on this Twenties Girl Style post.  As soon as I read her post I literally ran out to Target and got myself one!  Besties can be each other's copy cats, right?

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!