pink rickshaw

4 minutes: a powerful noise

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever does." - Margaret Mead

The acclaimed documentary by Sheila C. Johnson, A Powerful Noise, features three inspirational women who defy the odds to fight poverty and oppression. Jacqueline, known as Madame Urbain, who works to empower and educate girls in the slums of Mali. Bui My Hanh, an HIV-positive widow in Vietnam who started a support group for those in her country living with the disease. And Nada Markovic, a survivor of the Bosnian war who is bringing women together to rebuild their community.

In celebration of International Women's Day (March 8), the documentary will be shown simultaneously around the nation in 450 theaters on March 5 at 6:30pm CST. Immediately, following the screening of the film, a live town hall discussion in New York City will be broadcast into each theater. Participants will include the film's executive producer Johnson, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, CARE Advocate Christy Turlington, CARE president and CEO Dr. Helene Gayle, actress/activist Natalie Portman and New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof. Ticket prices for this unique event presented by CARE, NCM Fathom, ONE and the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women range from $15-18 and can be purchased for a theater near you on the Fathom website. More than 30 percent of the ticket purchases will go directly to the work CARE supports.

If you're looking to make a difference in the movement to empower women and girls in the fight against global poverty, this is a night that could potentially make all the difference. As CARE says, "The evening promises to leave you encouraged and empowered. Your ticket to this event is a passport into the lives of powerful women who are overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds to transform their communities. And you’ll find out concrete steps you can take to help make a big difference in the fight against global poverty." Inspired already? Learn more and sign the visual petition for women's rights.

image source: fathomevents.com

-SD

4 minutes: like-minded animals

"The quickest way to know a woman is to go shopping with her."-Marcelene Cox

 

You survey the scene looking for the perfect opportunity. Patiently, you wait, and then when the moment is right, you strike with ferocious skill. You take back your latest hunt and proudly display it for the rest of the pack. You are, and always will be, a fashion predator.

If you are looking to rub elbows with like minded shopping huntresses, head to Dallas boutique Merge. On every Saturday in the month of March, fashionistas will be flocking to Merge, which is hosting a special shopping event (with cocktails) to benefit animals of a different nature-the Dallas Zoological Society. For every shopper that mentions the Dallas Zoological Society, Merge will donate 15 percent of the the purchase to the organization, which in turn benefits the zoo and Dallas Aquarium. Donations help to provide refuge for endangered species, wildlife conservation and fund educational programs. (For a list of other ways to make a difference including Eco-cell cell phone recycling for gorilla habitats and adopting an animal, see the full list of donation opportunities at Dallas Zoo: Support Us). In the spirit of Rebecca Bloomwood, shop a lot while benefiting the Dallas Zoo. Happy hunting.

image source: still from Confessions of a Shopaholic (examiner.com), cheetah (nationalgeographic.com)

-RW

4 minutes: music rocks

"Please don't stop the music."-song, Rihanna

 

Lately, your pals have started to question your obsession with military style jackets and tall hard hats. They might have been willing to let your bizarre attire slide, but the constant click of a snare drum as you walk in straight lines and perfect 90 degree angles is starting to wear on their nerves. You can’t help it - all of the time that you spent playing Guitar Hero over the holidays has you tapped into your inner Band Geek. Some of the best years of your life were spent squawking on your oboe, as the rest of your family cruised the house with cotton balls stuffed in their ears. While it may be time to retire your marching band glory days, your involvement in music does not have to end.

Many public schools have had to cut music and art programs due to lack of funding, or because they cannot provide the students with the necessary instruments or equipment. Unfortunately, that means the students with limited funds may be left out of the world of music. There are several musical aid programs focused on keeping music in the schools or lives of children. Charity Music is a non-profit service organization which provides musical instruments to at-risk and disadvantaged youths as a means for bringing positive change in their lives. Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, inspired by the motion picture Mr. Holland’s Opus, is a foundation dedicated to providing instruments to music programs that are in need of instruments for their pupils.

Consider donating your time, money, or old instruments to an organization that can bring music into the lives of youth. It may be time for you to take a bow and pass on that cherished oboe (and crazy hat), but the music does not have to stop.

More inspiration:
VH1 Save the Music
Sphinx Organization

image source: http://philsblogging.com

-RW 

4 minutes: lions and tigers and makeup. oh, my!

"Better to live one year as a tiger, than a hundred as a sheep."-Madonna

 

Tony, Tigger, Hobbes, and Mowgli--just a few of our striped friends. Tigers and humans have been tight since the beginning of time. In fact, this fascination with the big cats show up prominently in folklore and mythology. In Hinduism, the goddess Durga appears riding a tiger as a symbol of majesty and power. In Chinese mythology, it is believed that the tiger has magical powers and can take human form. Unfortunately, tigers may not just appear in myths, but soon become a myth to future generations.

Currently, some reports state that there are less than 2500 breeding wild tigers left in the world. In China alone, only 40 roam free in their natural habitat. (Only a hundred years ago, it was estimated there were 100,000 tigers around the world). What's happening? Namely, the reduction is due to habitat destruction and the large scale poaching of tiger skins and bones. The parts from tigers are sold in black markets for use in medicine (allegedly the bones and teeth are believed to provide the tiger's strength), decorations and even wine. In other words, humans. This is especially shocking considering the tiger was voted the world's favorite animal in an Animal Planet poll. This prompted the World Wildlife Federation to remind everyone "if people are voting tigers as their favorite animal, it means they recognize their importance, and hopefully the need to ensure their survival."

Organizations like Traffic are doing exactly that by working to prevent poaching. Traffic is the world's largest international wildlife trade monitoring network and aids in tiger conservation. China and India are also stepping in hoping to prevent the majestic animal from reaching extinction. India (the tiger is the country's national animal) has the world's largest population of wild tigers. In an effort to grow that population, the government of India launched Project Tiger back in the 1970's. It has had its share of controversy but has also been successful by almost tripling the wild Royal Bengal tigers. While poaching remains a huge issue, the country is also using retired army personnel to curtail poaching gangs.

Okay, so we can't all stop poaching gangs (I personally would be no good at it). But that did not stop Sylvie Chantecaille from wanting to raise awareness about the issue. The founder of the famed Chantecaille line of make-up (celeb fans include Madonna and Blake Lively) decided to dedicate a collection in her high end products to the beauty and brawn of the Bengal tiger after reading about the terrible poaching problem. The Le Tigre collection includes two compacts with images of tigers embossed into the powders and a face palette. The face palette includes a cheek color, highlighter, and four jungle-themed eye shadows—browns, coppers, and a green—along with two compacts (a face powder and a bronzer), a green eyeliner, and three shimmery lip glosses. The packaging has been switched from Chantecaille’s signature nickel casing to a cooper hue, similar to the color of a Bengal tiger. Along with awareness, five percent of the proceeds from the sale of the line will benefit Traffic. The collection is available at Eluxury, Bergdorf Goodman and Bliss.

So as a fashionable environmentalist, do something small in the fight for a big cause. Whether its purchasing a compact, "adopting" a tiger, or simply reading more about the issue; there's no doubt that the fascination with the majestic animal will continue. After all, as animal behaviorist Candy d'Sa said our fascination stems from somewhere, perhaps it is that "We can relate to the tiger, as it is fierce and commanding on the outside, but noble and discerning on the inside."

image source: chantecaille.com, bergdorfgoodman.com

-SD

4 minutes: vote

"Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don't vote."-William E. Simon

You've rocked the vote; cast your ballot early and have already decorated your home for an Obama (or McCain) victory party. To your surprise, however, some of your friends, may need that little extra push to get to the polls on election day.

Three subtle ways to remind your friends to vote this Tuesday:
1) The fashionable approach
Carry this patriotic vote tote (pictured above) or a Marc Jacobs "Time for a Change" t shirt. Say nothing, simply let your fashion do the talking.

2) The educational approach
In today's busy, stressful world, some say they simply cannot keep up with the issues and where different politicians stand. Don't let that be an excuse. Help a pal out and send them a voting guide so she can get up to speed on where each candidate stands on the issues at the city, state and national level elections. National Voter Guide makes it simple. A collaboration with hundreds of newspapers and television stations, the site lets you input your address and finds local voting guides that cover the exact ballot in your area.

3) The humorous approach

If all else fails, make them feel bad. Moveon.org has created a video you can personalize that traces the loss of a particular candidate to anyone you would like. Simply put in his or her name, and a mock newscast reports the results. Or send them a snarky e-card from BotherVoting.org. Funny, memorable and hopefully effective.

We're Pink Rickshaw and we approve this message.
Happy voting!

image source: H81 Patriotic vote tote, forever21.com

-SD

4 minutes: donate my dress

Kevin [In Jane's apt as she shows off her bridesmaid dresses] What is that?
Jane [Holding a Gone with the Wind style dress up to herself] Theme wedding!
Kevin: What was the theme? Humiliation? -27 Dresses

We’ve all been there. You love your girlfriend, but bless her heart; she picked one fugly bridesmaid dress for you to wear to her wedding. But when she uttered those over-used words in earnest, “I think you will be able to wear it again” you went ahead and tossed her the proverbial bone “Yep. Definitely. Definitely going to be wearing this again – especially if I get it cut short.”

Friendship, after all, is far more important than a couple hundred dollars spent on an unflattering gown. So you made a mental note of possible re-wear options for the dress (Halloween, adult prom, company holiday party, cruise) and stuffed it into the far regions of your closet.

Years later you come to a couple of realizations:
1) You have a lot of bridesmaid dresses in your closet that you have never re-worn
2) There is no such thing as an adult prom
3) You wouldn’t be caught dead in any of these dresses at your company holiday party
4) You buy a new scandalous Halloween outfit every year
5) You never went on that cruise

In short, you will never, ever, wear these dresses again, and it is time to clean out that closet. Before you go looking for the nearest trash dumpster, consider this: there are many young gals out there in need of a formal gown for prom that can not afford a new dress. While your dresses (ranging from saris to chiffon nightmares), may not have always suited your tastes, they may in fact be the perfect dress for someone else. Organizations such as the Glass Slipper Project and Donate My Dress allow you to pass on your dress to someone destined to be a princess in your gown. By donating your old bridesmaid gowns (they also take old prom dresses and formals) to these organizations, you are helping others and erasing that little white lie you told your friend about re-wearing her bridesmaid dress. We consider that some pretty heavy-duty clean-up.

image source: 27 Dresses movie still, 20th Century Fox, movies.yahoo.com

-RW

4 minutes: tx-ou, oh so sweet

"Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that."-Bill Shankly

Buy a Texas Longhorn vanilla cupcake or OU red velvet cupcake at Sprinkles and the cupcake bakery will donate the proceeds to a children's hospital in Dallas or Oklahoma. Last year, Sprinkles raised $3500 for Children's Medical Center Dallas and $2500 for Children's Medical Research Institute at the OU Health Sciences Center. You can get these special Red River shootout cupcakes and help a great cause this Friday and Saturday. Sweet.
While both are delicious, I'm a little partial to the vanilla. Go Texas.

image source: sprinklescupcakes.com

-SD

4 minutes: recycled jewelry

"The earth is like a beautiful bride who needs no man-made jewels to heighten her loveliness."-Kahlil Gibran

 

Shock. Potential. Current. All terms a fashionista may use to describe the next trend du jour, or an electrical engineer may use to describe properties of electronics. Rarely has high fashion and the world of electronics been tied together. Until now. Beauty met the geek and looks like there was a spark. The result: an earth friendly, fun accessory.

An Outblush find, these unique pendants are derived from old printed circuit boards and reworked into modern day jewelry. The original pieces are the perfect accessory for techno-funk flair and would pair well with any monochromatic outfit. And with these necklaces, you are making more than a fashion statement. Over three percent of the world's landfill wastes consists of printed circuit boards. These pendants transform that potential waste into something trendy for your fall look. Also, because the circuit boards have never been filled with components (most were manufactured with a mistake that rendered them unusable), there is no fear of lead contamination concerns. Saving the earth, one piece of jewelry at a time? We consider that pretty buzz-worthy.

image source: thinkgeek.com

-RW

4 minutes: back to school

"Better be safe...than punch a 5th grader."-a 1st grader

You always won the perfect attendance award at the end of school year. You received Es in conduct. Your handwriting (using those gigantic pencils) was impeccable. You were even picked to clean the erasers out back.Your classmates had two words for you: teacher's pet.

This month, there is a whole new generation of teachers' pets that are going back to school. Unfortunately, some of these students may not have access to many vital classroom materials. So, how can you help? Aid underfunded public school classrooms through the site, DonorsChoose.org. Teachers at public schools in need, submit proposals for materials required for classroom projects. Just review their request (they can be sorted by location and need) and select how much you would like to donate. Requested materials range from staplers to laptops, so any amount helps. You can even search for projects that interest you, such as supplies for science related activities or promoting Shakespeare.

The result: the pupils receive the tools to get their learn on. You, in turn, get loads of thank you letters, written with those lovely, gigantic pencils. You also receive that warm, fuzzy feeling knowing that you helped educate America's youth. It's an A+ deed. But we would not expect anything less of you...teacher's pet.

image source: A Christmas Story movie still, MGM

-SD

4 minutes: the long and short of it

"I have very short hair. It's the only cute haircut I think I've ever had."-Jamie Lee Curtis

Much like celebrity romances, celebrity hairstyles do not last very long. Extensions today, bob tomorrow. However, there has been a noticeable trend this summer of our Hollywood pals going a la Posh Beckham with stylish short dos. Hayden Panettiere, Eva Longoria, and Gwenyth Paltrow have all chopped off their long locks. Even Bollywood belles Bipasha Basu and Preity Zinta, who traditionally wear their hair long and chi-licously straight, have been spotted with short and sleek hairstyles. Inspired? According to my summer magazine reading, here's the drill. Step one: Save that picture of your fave celeb haircut. Step two: Good hair = good stylist. Often, the best recommendations for a good stylist can come from strangers you spot with great hair. Don't be shy; they'll be flattered. Step three: Bring said saved picture to the salon. Most stylists work better when you show them what they are trying to achieve. Step four: Enjoy.

Easy, right? Not so fast.

For some, step five may soon follow: Experiencing haircut remorse.  And yes, you know exactly what that is . Haircut remorse is that slight tinge of regret that your lovely long tresses are gone. So, what is a girl to do?

Faster than you can say "Jessica Simpson Home Shopping Network clip-on extensions", there is a benevolent solution. When making the transition from a longer style to a short bob, donate the hair to those who need it. Organizations like Locks of Love, Wigs for Kids and Pantene's Beautiful Lengths campaign all accept hair donations to make wigs for disadvantaged children or women with cancer. Check out their sites for details on the condition of the hair and length. The Pantene campaign accepts the shortest length (an eight inch ponytail) where as Wigs for Kids has a minimum of 12 inches. Your good deed will instantly wipe away any remorse of cutting your hair short. Guaranteed. Also, participating salons will discount or even comp your haircut if you are donating. A potential discount, a good cause and an entirely au courant hairstyle? That's enough to even put a smile on Posh's face.

image source: people.com

-SD