Need Your Help

To Write Love On Her Arms is one of the most amazing organizations ever.
It is one of my favorite organizations along with Voice of the Martyrs, Love146 and World Vision.

The Mission Statement for To Write Love On Her Arms:

To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide.  TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.

To learn more about TWLOHA I encourage you to read their vision, the story of how they came to be and what it is they do.

Here's the reason for this post in the words of TWLOHA founder, Jamie Tworkowski:

December is here and so is the final round of voting for the American Giving Awards presented by Chase. TWLOHA is one of five charities with a chance to win $1,000,000. Your support helped us win Round 1 back in October and now we’re looking at the chance not only to win this money but to do it on national television, as the Awards will be broadcast nationwide on NBC.

Your support got us here and we need you now more than ever. Winning this money would allow us to take our message of hope and help on the road to more places and in more creative ways than ever before. Beyond that, we think the chance to speak to a national television audience is something pretty special.

You can vote once daily today [BLOG NOTE::THIS E-MAIL IS FROM DECEMBER 1ST] thru 12/8, so we’re asking for 8 votes over the next 8 days. If you want to do more, you can tweet, retweet, post on Facebook and Tumblr, even host a voting party at your school or in your community. We've created a Facebook event page if you want to join the community of people voting. There’s room to get creative. There’s room for your passion and your voice.

TWLOHA started small and we’ve seen amazing doors open as we’ve continued to journey together. That’s what it’s all about.

To see our big idea (how we would spend the money) and to cast your first vote, go here.

On behalf of the entire TWLOHA team, thank you for supporting us and thank you for caring about other people.

Let's win this thing together.
jamie

So to all my readers, please vote :-) and thank you!

17 Random Factoids

{1} I want to go to Scotland. Really Bad.

{2} Number two last year involved my statement that I'm "not a pink girl". I can now say while I'm still not big into girly pinks, I do like pink again...guess it just kind of came full circle.

{3} I'm currently head over heels for blue nailpolish. Yeah.

{4} I think with a British accent (still true and still weird...still don't know how it's possible)

{5} Last year M&M's were my favorite candy. They're not anymore. Now, its the good stuff. I'm talkin' Lindt's Lindor Truffles. Especially the one's with the light blue wrap.

{6} I long for a new camera. A better camera. More than a point - and - shoot camera. Preferably something with Nikon on it. (Specifically, this one)

{7} I don't read as much as I used to.

{8} I love the Disney show Phineas & Ferb.

{9} TWLOHA is the best organization ever. And I love them.

{10} The concept of driving freaks me out.

{11} Writing is a way of life.

{12} I am much nerdier / geekier / dorkier than I used to be. Thor, Captain America, The Avengers, Star Trek, LOTR. Totally. Loving It.

{13} I cannot live without my iPod Touch.

{14} I still don't wear dresses...though I do now own one...that I made...its kind of a dress.

{15} I am utterly addicted to Pinterest. Follow if you are too! pinterest.com/the_siriana.

{16} I have the most awesome and amazing best friends in the world.
I'm talkin about you guys, Lauren, Eric, Amanda and Nicole!

{17} I have the most amazing family and we live in the most gorgeous place.

Company with a Cause: TOMS SHOES

I like organizations that work for a good cause.
Not the fakey ones or the ones that are making a gazillion dollars off of it.

The real ones.

My favorite, and ones I support include TWLOHA (To Write Love On Her Arms), World Vision, Love 146, and the topic of this post...TOMS Shoes.





I've known about TOMS since...well, just about their beginning.

But its only been in the past several months that I've really started paying attention to what they do and just how much it means...and how cute their shoes happen to be ;-)

One for One


TOMS Shoes was founded on a simple premise: With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One. Using the purchasing power of individuals to benefit the greater good is what we're all about. The TOMS mission transforms our customers into benefactors, which allows us to grow a truly sustainable business rather than depending on fundraising for support.

Giving Is Catching On...
The TOMS mission of giving shoes has attracted other brands, resulting in unique and successful collaborations. Ralph Lauren sold co-branded Polo Rugby TOMS, giving a matched pair with every pair sold. Element Skateboards has issued limited edition TOMS + Element shoes as well as a One for One skateboard. With every skateboard purchased, one will be given to a child at the Indigo Skate Camp in Durban, South Africa. It is TOMS’ hope that as our One for One movement continues to grow, more and more companies will look to incorporate giving into what they do.

The TOMS Story
In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS Shoes, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. Blake returned to Argentina with a group of family, friends and staff later that year with 10,000 pairs of shoes made possible by TOMS customers.

As of September 2010, TOMS has given over one million pairs of new shoes to children in need through Giving Partners around the world.

Its that cool OR WHAT?! haha

And not only do they have a bunch of cute styles and colors for men, women and children they also have a wedding collection.

Awesome? I think yes!

Just a few weeks ago TOMS had their 'Day Without Shoes':



I really, really, really wanted to do it...and I did for the most part...except for when I had to go to the grocery store...the won't let me in without shoes (health laws lol).

TOMS just keeps growing more and more and almost everywhere I go, I'm seeing at least one person sporting TOMS.

And because I've been suffering from some serious shoe-lust over
these beauties, not to mention I'm willing to save for the price because its buying shoes for not just me...



I do believe I know where my next pair of shoes is going to come from!!!
(And did I mention their rave reviews??? Apparently comfort is an understatement with even these...I SO want to try that out for myself!)

TWLOHA

So, I don't know if any of you are TWLOHA  (To Write Love On Her Arms) fans/supporters, but I have something I find exciting...the TWLOHA Store is having free shipping the day after tomorrow! Thats right MONDAY! :) I'm looking forward to it because I've been meaning to purchase a few things from the store since well...last year, and am definitely going to be taking advantage of this! For more information just click on the "free shipping" link above in the paragraph!

If you're interested you can find more about them and their STORY and VISION as well as some FACTS and ways to MOVE and get involved.