The Brass Paperclip Project

Do Good: Charity Water Campaign Update

Big news!  I just received my first CharityWater campaign update!  You may remember that this past September, I donated my birthday to CharityWater and raised almost $1700 to fund a fresh water project somewhere in the word.  (If you missed that story, click that last link to find out what the program is all about and then click the next link to find out the results of my fundraising campaign.) 

Well...(pun intended!!)...Friday afternoon I found out that all the money was sent to Ethiopia!  It's so exciting to receive this update and know that the funds are on their way to the people who need them.  Check out the e-mail below...

How cool is that?  I hadn't heard of A Glimmer of Hope, so I looked it up along with The Relief Society of Tigray and was impressed with both organizations.   A Glimmer of Hope works to help raise women and children in rural Ethiopia out of poverty by providing water, education, health services and micro-financing.  Like CharityWater, the organization is completely funded by an endowment, allowing for 100% of donations to serve those in need.  The video below gives you a glimpse into their work, but I encourage you to check out their website and find out more.  Maybe you'll want to join or start a fundraising campaign of your own.

The Relief Society of Tigray (REST) is also doing a lot of good work and provides a lot of resources and information about on-going relief projects in Ethiopia, as well as a photo and video gallery. 

Thanks again to everyone who supported my campaign!  I hope you feel as good about it as I do.  Feel free to share your own experiences or leave links to your own CharityWater or Glimmer of Hope fundraising campaigns in the comments section below or on FB or Twitter!  I'd love to help you spread the word!  XOXO, Cindi

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Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone!  I hope the holidays brought you peace, love, joy and maybe even an engagement ring!   If you are a newly-minted bride-to-be, congratulations! 

I have so much to catch you all up on, but I'm going to start this post off by apologizing for bailing on my Handmade Holiday series mid-stream.  After what happened in Sandy Hook, I just couldn't bring myself to blog.  Anything I could think of to say seemed ridiculous and meaningless.  As the mother of a 6-year-old little girl, the tragedy struck very close to my heart and really shook me to the core.  

I spent a lot of time feeling sad and reading everything I could about what happened...as morbid as that sounds, I find I need a lot of information to process things.  In all the debate about gun control and mental illness, I found myself looking at a bigger picture, questioning what is it about our society that is pushing people to this desperate brink in the first place? 

After a week of sadness and questions, I latched on whole-heartedly to the 26 Acts of Kindness movement that resulted from Ann Curry's tweet.  Even though I could not change what happened, I felt like spreading some love and helping other people in small quiet ways was very cathartic.  My daughter and I took some warm socks and travel toiletries to a teen homeless shelter, took homemade cookies and eggnog to the fire station in our neighborhood and hid lots of candy canes all over the Seattle Center.  We also passed out candy canes, thank you notes and $5 coffee shop gift cards to employees and travelers we encountered at the airport on our holiday trip to Indiana.  It was so much fun to watch the looks of surprise and then grins from unsuspecting people. 

My take-away from this tragedy is that I need to cherish the moments I have with my loved ones, especially my little girl, and never take things for granted.  I feel that I owe that much to the families who lost their loved ones.  I also truly believe that this world can use more kindness, so to that end, I plan to continue springing random acts of kindness on my community and teaching my daughter the value of being kind to others.  I'll definitely share some inspiring ideas on my blog, but will keep most of my own gestures private, because I believe anonymous kindness to unknown recipients is really what it's all about. 

As for my holidays posts, I am going to leave them for now and move forward.  I will finish the second half of my Handmade Hanukkah series and share my planned Christmas posts later in the year.  Moving forward, I have two great giveaways coming up, lots of thrift store confessions to make, real weddings to share and tons of new inventory to add to my Etsy shop.   I'm really looking forward to the new year and hope you are too!

If you're not already following my blog, I hope you'll consider connecting with me at one of the links below and please feel free to reach out and comment.  I'd really like to hear what you're thinking and what you are enjoying or wishing for in this blog or in my shop. 

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Thanks for a great 2012 and all the best in 2013!!  XOXO, Cindi

And be sure to check out Vintage Fangirl's website if you like the gorgeous Victorian postcard I used in this post...it came from her awesome website!

Vintage Hats and Still Thinking Pink

It was another short week for me and wow, did it zip by!  My goal of getting hankies and veils posted is still on hold while I have been focusing on getting pink things listed for my October Do Good: Think Pink fundraising and awareness campaign.  (I blogged about it earlier this week, so you can click that link back there if you are interested in helping to fight against breast cancer.) 

Here are some of my favorite pink pieces from this week.  Click the links below the photos for more information about each.

Hot Pink Rose Hair Clip

Delightful Dahlia Ring Pillow Alternative

Hot Pink Tea Rose Hair Clips

Blush Pink Peony Hair Clip

Two other items I'm really excited about adding to the shop this week are these two gorgeous vintage hats...again, click the links below the photos for more info.

Vintage Floppy Sun Hat

Vintage Petal Hat

That's all I've got for today.  My family is visiting from the east coast for a week, so I've got some fun blog posts already lined up for you and will try to squeeze in some great new items in between sightseeing, cocktails and meals out...LOL.  Gotta love a stay-cation!  Have a great weekend and hope you stop back again soon!

You can follow along at any of the links below to make sure you don't miss a thing. 

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XOXO, Cindi

 

Do Good: DIY Masectomy Pillows

Earlier this year a good friend was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo a double masectomy.  Not having had any direct experience with this, I was somewhat at a loss about what to expect for her and how to best offer support.  This lead to my doing research online, which is what lead me to create these pillows.

After masectomy surgery, these little pillows can be placed under the arms, against the breast area, to help relieve pressure on the stitches and affected areas.  I found them available in a variety of shapes and sizes, but was most inspired by the heart-shaped ones I saw.  The sentiment was sweet and the shape seemed like it would fit most comfortably under the arm. I am, by no means, a breast cancer expert, but these seemed like a brilliant and really thoughtful idea to me.

I wanted them to be super soft and snuggly, so I raided my fabric stash and chose some cashmere sweater sleeves that were left over from other projects.  I find wool and cashmere sweaters at thrift stores all the time and always snap them up.  They usually have holes in them, so I have no qualms about cutting them up to make something new.  Felting them at home in your washer keeps them from fraying and makes a nice sturdy material to work with.  Just wash them in hot water and dry on high heat...it may take a few cycles to get them where you want them, but it's easy.  Of course, you could also make this project with any kind of fabric you have on hand...flannel or fleece would be great!

When your sweaters are ready, cut the sleeves off and cut them open along the seam. (You could use the body of the sweater for this project, but I would probably save those large pieces for larger projects.)

Next, make a pattern by cutting a heart shape out of paper.  Use your pattern to cut out two hearts for each pillow.  (Mine were about 8" across by 11" long...you might need to adjust the size up or down depending on who will be using it.) 

When you have your fabric hearts cut out, pin two hearts with right sides together.  (If you'd like to embellish your pillow, you can applique smaller hearts or decorations to the right side before you pin the pillow pieces together.)

Sew your hearts together by hand or with a machine, leaving a small opening for the stuffing. When you are done sewing, turn your pillows right-side out and stuff them full of fiberfill. When you're happy with the amount of squish, stitch the opening closed.

That's all there is to it!  I hope this project empowers you to feel a little less helpless if someone you know gets sick.  I'd love to hear your thoughts, so I welcome any comments you may have.

Later this month, I'll also be sharing some tips about what to put in a breast cancer recovery care package and how to organize a Smile Train to deliver a steady stream of home cooked meals to anyone who needs a little extra TLC after a surgery.

You can also find out more about what I'm doing to support Breast Cancer Awareness this month in this post I shared yesterday.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to follow along at any of the links below so you don't miss a single thing.  XOXO, Cindi

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Do Good: Think Pink!

Last week was a short week for me, so I'm playing a bit of catch up today.  I'm really excited to share some information about what I'll be doing this month to support Breast Cancer Awareness.  Most of us know someone who has been touched by breast cancer and we all know cancer sucks.  When cancer strikes we wish there was more we could do to help.

This month, I'm going to make it easy for you...help by shopping!  For the rest of October, I will donate 20% of the proceeds from the sale of any pink item in my shop to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research.  When you purchase a pink item, you can tell me who you'd like the donation to be made in honor or memory of, so it's a great way to celebrate someone special in your life and add a special meaning to your purchase.  To easily find all of the pink items, just type "pink" into the search box on my shop home page.  I will be adding new pink items all month, so be sure to check back often.

Here are two new items that I listed this week.  You can click the links below the photos for more information.

Pink Flower Hair Pin

Pearl Hair Pins

I also have a very special wedding dress to tell you about. This dress was sent to me to sell on consignment by a fantastic lady named Pat Logan.  She had the dress custom made for her wedding in 1969.  She was married for 40 years, but sadly, lost her battle with breast cancer just one week shy of her 41st anniversary.  I had no idea when I took the dress that she was sick.  She never mentioned it, just said that she wanted her dress to go to a bride who would treasure it as much as she had.  We had planned to split the proceeds of the sale.  After she passed away, her husband Steve contacted me to let me know and at that point, we decided together that we would donate 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the dress to Susan G.Komen in Pat's memory. 

This is Pat wearing her dress on her wedding day...click the link below the photo for more photos and information about the dress. And if you know someone who would love this dress, I hope you'll share the link or at least help spread the word.  Thanks!

Vintage William Cahill Wedding Gown - Size 2 

In addition to raising funds for breast cancer research, I'll be sharing some special DIY projects this month.  I personally, feel very helpless when someone I know gets sick, so I just try to do whatever I can to help.  Often times that means nothing more than lending an ear or offering words of support.  But when my nurturing side really kicks in to high gear, I start cooking and crafting.  Tomorrow, I'll be sharing a great tutorial for how to make super soft and comfy masectomy pillows.

And later this month, I'll be sharing tips about what to put in a breast cancer recovery care package, as well as information about how to set up a Smile Train to provide a stream of home-cooked meals for anyone who needs a little extra TLC.

I hope you'll follow along all month and chime in with your own ideas and suggestions about how to help when times get tough. And don't forget to check out Etsy for a huge assortment of handmade breast cancer related gifts and treasures. 

The treasury photo at the top of this post is a great example of what you'll find.  It's called Tougher Than Cancer and comes via Flora By Toni Linn. In the words of Toni, this treasury was "curated with love for the strong women who are currently fighting, the courageous women who have lost their lives, the beautiful survivors, and the brave women who will be faced with this devastating disease. This is in memory of one very special woman."

Cheers to all of you for making a difference!  Have a great week!  XOXO, Cindi

P.S. If you would like to stay in touch, you can follow along at any of the links below so you don't miss a thing. 

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Do Good: Charity Water Campaign Wrap-Up

Earlier this month, I blogged about donating my birthday to water via CharityWater.org.  My campaign wrapped up on Sunday and I am so excited to report that I surpassed my first fundraising goal of $1000 and my second goal of $1500 for a grand total of $1691 raised!  So exciting!

As a result, these funds will be pooled with other donations to fund a fresh water project somewhere in the world.  Over the next 18 months, Charity: Water will work with teams in the field to identify the area with the greatest needs and determine how to best meet those needs.  Then the real work begins and the water project is built.  When Charity:Water has completed the project, they will provide an update report with GPS coordinates showing exactly where the water project was built, along with information about the community being served.  I'm happy to say that with the money we raised, 84 people...16 families!...will soon have fresh water. I can't think of a better birthday gift than that.

One of the highlights of this experience has been watching my daughter's reaction.  How sweet is this birthday card she made for me?  (She did sign it, but I hid her name cause I'm protective like that.)  The picture she drew is of a happy girl getting water from her new well.  I die.  She raided her piggy bank with her dad and made her own donation of $27.91...so sweet.

I was also happy to donate 40% of my September Etsy sales, which were not as high as I'd hoped, but I did round up a smidge to make a nice $50 donation.  

Overall, I'm feeling really happy about the whole experience and can't thank my family and friends enough for supporting me and this great cause.  You stepped up, helped change lives and made my 40th birthday one I will never forget.  Thank you!  XOXO, Cindi

Do Good: Donate Your Birthday To Water

 

Uganda

Four. Zero.

 

Forty.

40.

No matter how you look at it, I'll be turning the big ole 4-0 on Sunday.  But it's ok.  I'm psyched!  Why, you may ask, am I excited about this?  Because I can be.  I'm happy to be here.  Grateful for my family, my friends, my health... what's not to be excited about?  I'm a lucky lady.

In that light, I've decided to make this milestone count for something important by donating my 40th birthday to Charity: Water.  Instead of gifts this year, I am asking everyone I know (and even internet friends I don't know!) to consider donating $40 for my 40th to help bring fresh water to some of the 800 million people in the world who don't currently have access to fresh clean drinking water.

 

Rawanda

Charity: Water is an amazing non-profit organization that is dedicated to bringing water to people in developing nations who need it. This video gives you a quick idea of how they work.

 

 

One of the things I really like about Charity: Water is that 100% of public donations go directly to water projects.  They have private donors who pay for all the back-end administrative stuff, so your donation goes straight to the people who need it most.  You can learn a lot more about how it works at on the Dollars to Projects page of the website.

 

Uganda

 

In about 18 months from now, when our water project is complete, Charity: Water will provide a completion report that documents who was served, what kind of water project was completed and where it is...complete with photos and actual GPS coordinates.  It will be visible on my Charity: Water page, but I will also be documenting on my blog.  It's going to be so exciting to see on a map where we've been able to make a difference.  Maybe for my 50th, I can go see it in person!

To make things even more interesting, I'm pledging 40% of my total September sales from my Etsy shop to my Charity: Water campaign.  I'll be adding lots of new merchandise all month, so please check it out and consider making a purchase you can feel really good about.  I just re-launched my shop on Monday, so if you don't see what you're looking for, please let me know. I may have it, but just not have gotten it listed yet.  :)

My fundraising campaign runs through September 30th, so please consider donating...and think about the smiles you'll be creating and the lives you'll be saving.  

 

Cambodia

If you are interested in pledging your birthday, you can do that too.  Or your wedding or any other milestone you wish....they are happy to accommodate!  Check out the Charity: Water website for the full scoop.

 

Did you get all those links??  If not, here they are again:

CharityWater.org  OR  The Brass Paperclip Project on Etsy

Thank you so much for your support and for being the best internet friends and customers I've ever had!! 

XOXO, Cindi

 

Do Good: Donate Your Dress

 

Everyone I know got married and all I got were these {fill in the blank} dresses...  It's always fun to be in a wedding, but if your closet looks like the photo above and you need a t-shirt to explain it, you may be happy to know how easy it is to donate those dresses to someone who will love them far more than you ever did.  I'll tell you how in a minute, but first I digress...

Earlier this week, I shared a story about a dissolving wedding dress that was designed to call attention to the growing problem of "throw-away fashion" in our society.  I also shared the fact that over 70% of textiles end up in landfills, even though nearly 100% of textiles can be reused and/or recycled. 

That got me thinking about how many hundreds of thousands of "single-use" bridesmaid dresses are probably languishing in closets all across the country.  Case in point, who could forget the hilarious closet scene in 27 dresses...

 

It's laugh-out-loud funny because it's so extreme, but let's face it...no matter how great the dress, bridesmaid dresses rarely get worn again.  And if you've been in a few weddings, you know how quickly those dresses can multiply in your closet...like colorful satin bunnies. 

Instead of holding them hostage in your closet until they go out of style, set them free by donating them to someone who will be thrilled to wear them this year. 

Donate My Dress is a national network of local organizations who collect and distribute thousands of free dresses to girls all over the country who dream of going to prom, but don't always have the funds to make it happen.  If you can't find a dress-drive in your area, look for one of the many groups in the network who will accept dresses by mail.  Most dresses will fit in a large flat rate box and can be shipped almost anywhere for less than $15. 

Whatever you do, don't let them waste away in your closet...or worse, end up in a landfill.  Whether you have one dress or two...or 27, donate them today.  Take a stand against throw-away fashion and give your dresses a second chance at life.   The girls who receive them will enjoy a lifetime of magical memories and may even pay it forward one-day by donating their dresses for other girls to love.

Prom season is coming up fast and dress drives are happening now all across the US.  You can help make a girl's dream come true, help save the environment and score some extra room in your closet.  Win!

For more information or to find a local donation drive visit www.donatemydress.org

Image Credits: Gowns on Fence | | Rack of Dresses

 

Go Red For Women + Red Wedding Dresses = True Love

In honor of National Wear Red Day and women everywhere who are fighting heart disease I thought today would be a good day to share some information and talk about the ultimate red dress...a red wedding dress.  Would you wear one? 

Red wedding dresses are the norm in some cultures and are done with stunning effect.  Unfortunately, not all red wedding dresses are created equal...especially the ones that look like they were supposed to be white, but fell into a vat of red dye.  What you want to look for is a stunning red dress that's not trying to be something it's not.   Check out these swoon-worthy gowns...if I was going to get married in red, I could definitely see myself falling for one of these dresses. 

At the end of this post you'll find more information about Go Red For Women and some simple, elegant ways to incorporate the Wear Red message into your wedding day.

WAYS YOU CAN HELP:

If you or someone you love has been touched by heart disease, then this topic will be near and dear to your heart. (Literally!)  You can honor those people and personalize your wedding in a very meaningful way by tastefully weaving red into your wedding day plans.  Here are a few ideas to get you thinking...

*Wear a red wedding dress and let people know why you're doing it.  A note in your ceremony program or a chalk-board display at your reception would be easy and elegant.

*Let each of your bridesmaids choose a red dress that they love and make a donation to the AHA in their names. 

*In lieu of wedding favors, make a donation to the AHA and let your guests know why that was important to you with a personal note at each place setting.

*Serve heart-healthy foods at your reception and make a point to mention it on your menus.

*Make the most of your wedding website by including a link to a memorial or tribute page or set up a fundraising page.  All the tools and resources you need can be found at Go Red For Women.

So, what do you think?  Can you see yourself in red?  If you have more ideas, feel free to share them in the comments section, including your links or photos.  XOXO Cindi

********************************

MORE INFORMATION:

February 4, 2011 is National Wear Red Day.  The American Heart Association celebrates this awareness event every year on the first Friday of February as part of their Go Red For Women campaign.  People are invited to wear red today to increase awareness about heart disease.

Women have traditionally been overlooked in the fight against heart disease because it has been seen as an "older man's disease."  The fact is that heart disease does not discriminate and is the #1 killer of women.  For that reason, the AHA chose a red dress as the icon for this campaign and as a symbol of the fight to save lives.

All photos via pinterest.com

Pack on the Pounds for your Honeymoon...Travel That Makes a Difference

 

I just discovered "Pack For A Purpose" and am in love with the concept.  What a brilliant idea!  If you're planning a honeymoon or any other trip, be sure to visit Pack For A Purpose before you go to find out how you can make a difference delivering supplies to the communities you visit.  If just 500 couples packed 5 lbs. each, 1.25 tons of supplies could reach communities worldwide.

 

Why not skip the wedding favors and use that money to buy school or medical supplies or soccer balls for donation. 

Consider giving each guest a freshly sharpened pencil with a cute tag attached to tell them about your donation plans.  Be creative!  What a rewarding way to start your marriage.

Are you considering this or any other way of using your wedding to give back?  If so, be sure to share your story in the comments section.  :)