Daddy's Day

Today is Father's Day.  Probably like many of you out there who have lost your father, this day is a bittersweet one for me.  On the bitter side, of course, is that I am reminded of how much I miss my beloved Daddy.  But there's more sweet than bitter; I love the opportunity to remember my amazing daddy and, what's more, to celebrate my husband, who is an incredible father.  In honor of two of my favorites, here are some of ways our family is celebrating today:

Cool cards, like this one that we sent to Dallin's dad earlier this week.  I know we live in the age of Skype and Snapchat, but one thing I learned from my father was how to write a real letter.  And nothing beats the perfect card, especially when it is indeed for one very cool pop.

Card by Hearts Grow Fonder
Available on Etsy

"From mail room to board room," as my dad would always say.  Here is the tie that my little H made for her Daddy at church today.  Very chic.  She has also been modeling it for him this afternoon.  I'm not sure who it looks better on.

Old photos.  A daddy/daughter nap, circa 1983, loving every minute of an afternoon snuggle.  My Daddy was a man of few words; he didn't say much unless he really had something to say, so I learned to appreciate moments of silence shared in complete comfort.  Like when we drove across country together to bring my old Volvo out to LA when I was in college; we listened to a LOT of CDs and shared time together I will always treasure.

New photos.  I love that Harper is Daddy's girl; after all, it takes one to know one.  Here is Harper, with Dallin, after a visit to the doctor's and in desperate need of some Daddy love.  It's cool, I totally get it.

Red velvet whoopie pies: my attempt at making Dallin a Father's Day treat.  I say attempt because there are a few things that I learned in the process...  As it turns out, I should read directions before starting a baking project to make sure I have all the ingredients and tools necessary.  For instance, one needs a whoopie pie pan when making whoopie pies.  In the absence of said whoopie pie pan, a muffin tin will work--but maybe not quite as well.  Fortunately, Instagram (what one of my besties calls "the beer goggles of life") makes everything look prettier.  Here's to hoping they taste good too!

Found notes, like this one from my Daddy.  He wrote this to me after he was diagnosed with lung cancer and was going through chemo and radiation.  Despite the physical toll this process was taking on his body, he found the time to sketch out designs with me--cupcakes, ice cream cones, candy...  All the sweet things that inspired my lolly.brand line.  I am grateful to fathers like mine, who inspire their children to dream.  There are so many ways that he lives on.

On Facebook today, there were countless pictures fathers, as well as status updates paying tribute.  I have to admit, it made me a little sad, wistful perhaps, I wasn't celebrating with my own father.  But a while ago, I decided that I would do my best to celebrate my father's life, rather than to mourn his passing.  This day, I have done just that, showing gratitude to the fathers in my life and appreciation for the examples that they are to their children.  I am blessed to know some seriously amazing guys.  And speaking of which, Dallin enjoyed his red velvet whoopie pie, and Harper did too.  Like father, like daughter...  And so it goes.

Think Pink (For the Cure)

 

Limited Edition Eddie Ballet Flat in dark pink, $178
by Tory Burch
15% of sales benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation



As you probably already know, October is breast cancer awareness month.  The statistics are staggering; in the US, a woman will die from breast cancer, on average, every 13 minutes.  Clearly, raising awareness of breast cancer and contributing to research programs is incredibly important, and doing so couldn't be easier this month--especially from a fashion standpoint, as there are infinite opportunities out there to shop for a good cause (yay!)--with a distinctly pink theme (double yay!).  And this year, it is Tory Burch's involvement with The Breast Cancer Research Foundation that has my attention.



The Breast Cancer Research Foundation
http://www.bcrfcure.org/

 In honor of breast cancer awareness month, 15% of the sales of Tory's limited edition pink patent Eddie ballet flat will benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, whose mission is: to achieve prevention and a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime by providing critical funding for innovative clinical and translational research at leading medical centers worldwide, and increasing public awareness about good breast health.  Their work is critical, especially when 97% of women diagnosed with localized breast cancer at an early stage survive more than 5 years.

The fact that Tory's Eddie Ballet Flat is pretty much irresistable in the dark pink patent doesn't hurt either, but now you can feel good about this splurge.  When 2,140 new cases of breast cancer in men are expected in the US during this year alone, the time to get involved is now.  Not to steal from the cartoon below, but think of it as a donation to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  May shopping always feel so good.


The Breast Cancer Research Foundation's Shop Pink 2011 Ad



For more information on breast cancer, or to get involved in the awareness and research initiatives of The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, visit their website: www.bcrfcure.org.

Daily Candy's "18 Best Mascaras Out There"

If I were stranded on a deserted island and could only have one cosmetic product with me, I would choose mascara. The caveat, of course, is that some sort of lip balm would be exempt from the "cosmetic" category and thus also allowed--because, if your lips are gross and chapped, not much else matters. Does that give some indication of how much I loooove and cherish my mascara? In fact--and maybe I shouldn't admit this, but we're all friends here--I can hardly stand the sight of my own reflection sans mascara. My eyes have no pop!, no affect... And perhaps for that very reason, I'm constantly in the market for the latest and greatest mascara.

Now that my confessional is out of the way, you'll understand exactly why this morning's Daily Candy email, The 18 Best Mascaras Out There, was basically written for me. Not surprisingly, several of the mascaras they selected for their top 18 are mascaras I have tried before--some I have loved, others not so much. But I was happy to note that there were also several promising possibilities for an eye make-up junkie like me. On that note, allow me to share the contents of my online shopping bag:

1.) The Smoky Lash by Make Up Forever: Daily Candy dishes, It’s the triathlete of mascara with the perfect amount of volume, the deepest shade of black, and unthinkable length — one of our testers’ lashes were even grazing her face. Talk about covering your bases! Price tag: $22

2.) GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan by Josie Maran: Daily Candy plugs the "philanthro-beauty" aspect of this mascara, which donates a tube to a City of Hope cancer patient/survivor for each one sold and gives you peppy volume and outstanding shine. For those unfamiliar with argan oil, it's produced from the kernels of the argan tree, endemic to Morocco, and is heralded for its nutritive, cosmetic and medicinal properties. How's that for a little natural shine? Price tag: $22

3.) Effortless by Burberry: Not to be redundant, but it appears I'm not the only one who's ready for the British invasion--nor am I the only "marketer's dream" out there, sold by clever packaging. Daily Candy confesses, The goop itself is only slightly above par, but the snazzy case made our tester want to break the age-old taboo of applying in public. I'm going to rationalize this one according to the "above par" part, but you have to admit that the packaging is really, really cool. Price tag: $28

4.) Lights Camera Lashes by Tarte: If Daily Candy has this one pegged correctly, then it's worth its weight in gold--being a "one step" (ie. just one coat!) mascara with the potential to totally simplify my verrry rushed morning beauty regime. Daily Candy can’t verify that your lashes will be exactly 424 percent fuller, but we more than appreciate the major volume. Price tag: $19

5.) Falsies by Maybelline: No, I did not think I would ever be blogging about Maybelline. In fact, I thought I left that pink and green tube behind when I graduated from high school. BUT Daily Candy says this one is worth a try, as its dense volume, recession-friendly price tag, and precisely curved wand, the “life changer” kept our testers jabbering. Personally, I'm hoping that my girl Juliet was wrong--and that there is something in a name--because "Falsies" obviously makes me think of false eyelashes, which are basically the best things everrr. So I'm willing to give good ol' Maybelline another try--especially because it won't break the bank. Maybe we should call this one the drugstore cowboy? Price tag: $7

6.) Virtuôse by Lancôme: Daily Candy raves about this one, We’re not quite sure how it does it — maybe the curved wand, maybe a secret ingredient — but Lancôme Virtuôse provides a stunning daylong curl. (Our tester: “No, really, it’s crazy.”) The bottom line: who has time to use an eyelash curler? Not to mention, those contraptions are indeed scary and treacherous! Price tag: $25

Thanks to those hip stylistas over at Daily Candy, my virtual shopping cart is now totaling $123 in mascara, which is to say nothing for shipping charges. So...it looks like I may have to stagger these lash treatments out over the long term to avoid being that girl who bought over $100 of mascara in one sitting. But I have to say, I'm pretty excited about the cosmetic road ahead, and I have full confidence that my lashes will receive exactly the kind of treatment they deserve. Stay tuned for the debriefing!

All images thanks to Daily Candy (http://www.dailycandy.com/), in order of appearance: (1) Smoky Lash mascara by Make Up Forever $22, available from Sephora (http://www.sephora.com/); (2) GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan mascara by Josie Maran $22, also available from Sephora; (3) Effortless mascara by Burberry $28, available from Burberry (http://us.burberry.com/); (4) Lights Camera Lashes by Tarte $19, also available from Sephora; (5) Falsies by Maybelline $7, available at your local drugstore; (6) Virtuôse by Lancôme $25, available from Lancôme (www.landcome.com).

A Tee For A Cause

It's no secret that I love shopping, but I love shopping for a cause even more--especially when that cause involves the fight against cancer. Some of you fabulous fashionistas may already be familiar with Stand Up to Cancer, a charitable program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) with the goal of accelerating cancer research to bring new, life-saving therapy options to patients. Clearly, this is a good thing, and now you can show your support for their cause by...shopping!

Now available online from Delia's collection of "Change the World Tees" is this special Cancer Benefit Tee. Made as a vintage-style concert tee in super-soft cotton, 20% of proceeds from this tee will be donated to Stand Up To Cancer. I've been wearing mine like it's going out of style, which it never will. After all, standing up to cancer is always in style. So, dearest fashionista friends, I implore you: won't you please stand up?

Daddy

1954-2009

Images, in order of appearance: (1) Cancer Benefit Tee $26.50, available at Delia's (http://store.delias.com); (2) Stand Up To Cancer logo, image thanks to www.cbs.com; Lolly and Daddy.