Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world. - Marilyn Monroe
Because I said so.
WHO? Fab shoe designer SAM EDELMAN, maker of this stiletto and this studded loafer, among other lovely footwear
WHAT? Will make a fashionable appearance
WHEN? Saturday, March 31 from 12-3PM
WHERE? Belk at The Summit
WHY? I can’t let the complete cat out of the bag just yet…so stay tuned!
Image via Villanously Vintage
Eating well and maintaining one’s physical fitness is chic at any age! For those of you who are looking for a way to sustain any 2012 fitness goals you made – or to kickstart a goal – the Junior League of Birmingham’s 5K for Kids invites you to lace up your running shoes and join them at Legion Field this Saturday, March 10. The Junior League is partnering with the City of Birmingham, Princeton Baptist Medical Center and the Mayor’s Office, Division of Youth Services to raise awareness and promote the prevention of childhood obesity in the state. The event will feature a 5K Run and a 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk, as well as a NObesity Expo with wellness screenings and healthy eating demonstrations, activities for the kids and refreshments.
All ages are welcome. 5K registration is $20 ($25 day of race) and the 1-mile Fun Run/Walk is $10 ($15 day of race). To register online, click here or sign up at 7:00 AM onsite. (Online registration closes March 8 @ 12:00 pm CST.)
Looking for a super cute running shoe? Check out these customizable New Balances as seen in Oprah and InStyle.
Image via the Junior League of Birmingham
TYRA MAIL!!!!!! ANTM Cycle 19 – the “College Edition” – is hosting casting calls during early March in the surrounding area; if you are currently enrolled or have been accepted to a school beyond high school, this may be your opportunity to SMIZE and strut with the best of them! According to my source, they want “participants from junior colleges, vocational schools, beauty schools to apply as well.”
Casting will hit the catwalk in Alabama (Mobile, Auburn & Montgomery), Georgia (Atlanta, Savannah, Thomasville & Augusta), Louisiana (Monroe & Lake Charles), Mississippi (Jackson) and Florida (Pensacola, West Palm Beach & Tallahassee) by the end of this week…so get your stilettos, poses and passports in gear and be sure to review the eligibility requirements so you don’t get all the way to the casting call and have your feelings hurt.
For more information and to download the application, click HERE. And just for kicks, here’s a mashup of fun times from previous episodes.
Image via tyrabanks.com
Yes, typing in all caps was completely necessary.
H&M lands in Sweet Home Alabama by way of Huntsville’s Bridge Street Town Centre this Spring. And according to my source, the store “will include collections for ladies, men, young ladies and young men, with full lingerie, maternity, and accessory departments. This location will also carry H&M’s fantastic children’s collection which features quality clothing for newborn up to kids age 14. The Bridge Street Town Centre H&M will offer approximately 20,000 square feet of selling space.”
Be sure to go to the website and drool over the trendy and affordable pieces; sign up for H&M’s newsletter and you could win a$1000 shopping spree (all subscribers receive a 20% discount off one purchase). And if you are STILL several hours’ drive from Huntsville (or Atlanta) step away from the ledge: H&M will launch online shopping this fall.
To find out what I love about H&M, click here.
Image via H&M
UNCF Birmingham’s signature masked gala takes place this Saturday at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel with special guest Chaka Khan. Area development director Walvid King gave me a sneak peek into what guests can expect. The black-tie evening, which began as a dinner, “switched to a gala concept in 1990 or 1991,” according to King. With a $400,000 fundraising goal this year, the local office hopes to exceed that goal and raise half a million dollars this year, and King believes they are well on their way.
What first-timers to the gala can expect: “A first-timer can expect to get a complete understanding of the mission of UNCF, a brief overview of the talent on our college campuses and to hear from UNCF administrators. They will get a complete overview of what UNCF is all about, and its constituents.”
The Gala’s impact: “That impact is almost [beyond measure]. We’ve raised over [six figures] on average to support young people in the state of Alabama attending our schools. You can look at that as being one portion of what we do. Another portion will go to student aid. Another portion will go to the school administration for development of its educational staff and infrastructure; [funding] not only benefits hundreds of youth, but extends onto the campus. The impact is tremendous. Every dollar counts.” (The local UNCF development office uses 10% of those funds for administrative costs.)
“Everything else goes back to the schools,” according to King.
What sets it apart from other fundraisers? “I wouldn’t put it in comparison to any other organization, but everything about our organization is [tied to] fundraising, and I’m not sure if that’s everyone else’s mission. We are still the number one minority assistance fund in America, and I’d say we hold that crown locally as well.”
Are there any surprises in store for guests Saturday night? “I don’t want to blow the whistle, but yes, there are some surprises planned. It wouldn’t be a surprise if I blew the whistle. (Laughs) It will be a star-studded event supporting educational excellence in this state; this is not something you want to get secondhand. You have to be there to see it.”
King also noted that the local UNCF office manages fundraising for two and a half states with a staff of two people, something that may not be well-known.
“[The gala] is building and we are growing. And everyone involved is important. I really want to thank my wife for her patience during this time; she also volunteers in the office. And I can’t forget Bryna Reid, who holds everything together while I’m out raising money,” King added. “It’s on the backbone, sweat and tears of myself and the volunteers who come by to stuff envelopes and make contacts. [Many attended UNCF schools and just want to give back.] It’s a big family effort. ”
This year’s co-chairs are Bill Horton of Regions, and Bobbie Knight-Burley of Alabama Power. King also expressed gratitude to the numerous sponsors who provided monetary support and man-hours, including two new sponsors: BP and Hershey’s.
For tickets, contact 322-8623 or the UNCF event website. Don’t forget your mask!
Image via chakakhan.com
Only for the love of fashion would I stand up for three nights' straight.
One blistered heel. Ten cramped fingers. Three nights in a 40″ by 140″ tent in make-your-teeth-chatter-and-knees-knock weather.
No, I didn’t spend the past few nights camping; I covered the second annual Birmingham Fashion Week, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting Camp Smile-a-Mile and Alabama Forever. It was my first fashion week anywhere, EVER and what I learned in the tent is that next year, I’ll make sure we have seats. I didn’t rock shades a la Anna Wintour, and I wasn’t so much of a rube that I held up numbered cards to rate the designs, but every night I was left breathless by the energy, the generosity, and the sheer creativity I witnessed from members of the beauty industry, the models, the designers, and the audience.
It may not be New York, but then why would we want it to be? Not to get on my soapbox, but I’ve lived here long enough to grow tired of the comparisons between Birmingham and just about every other city. It was nice to see us step up and (literally) strut our stuff for a change.
“It’s hard to show your inner heart and be judged,” BFW co-founder Heidi Elnora admitted before the finale began. Although she was referring to the pieces preparing to march down the runway, she could have been talking about any of the million other dreams people have but never follow through on because they’re afraid. As Hayden High School art teacher Amy Cutcliffe emphasized, “Everybody has something [to share creatively].” BFW gave many – myself included – an opportunity to do that.
Was everything about the event perfect? No. But that’s not the point. The show’s mission – to bring together our community – delivered. There was pageantry, there was drama, and for three nights, people from different ages, backgrounds, aesthetics and perspectives commiserated and celebrated in the name of fashion. Not to be missed: Brandon Wayne giving us FASHION as he emoted down the catwalk, Ashley Davis’ perfected “smize,” and Marcella Bailey’s infectious cheering from the sidelines. I’m no Pollyanna, but I left feeling that some very talented people brought everything they had to give and left it on the catwalk.
I, for one, feel richer for it…and am already marking my calendar for BFW 2013.
Same Chic Different Day 