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Brad and Angelina want you to be just like them

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are certainly style icons... each photograph of the couple is scrutinized to see what shoes Angelina is wearing, or bag Brad is carrying.

And while I'm certain the couple is happy to influence sales of lip gloss and footwear, it seems they’d really like to stir others to a more compassionate level of spending.

The most recent news is that the Jolie-Pitt Foundation has made a $1 million contribution to support kids effected by the war in Iraq.

Jolie has visited Iraq twice in the past year - the last time she was fairly heavily pregnant and wore a flack jacket over her abdomen, so she definately knows first hand the struggles on the ground in the country.

The funds donated by the couple have been earmarked specifically for educational expenses.

For the children of Iraq, Jolie-Pitt is contributing $500,000 to the be distributed to the following organizations:

Women for Women International to sponsor 300 Iraqi women and up to 1,200 children. The program will allow these women to provide their families with basic necessities, pay to send their children to school, and purchase books and learning supplies.

The International Rescue Committee to support their school rehabilitation and accelerated learning programs in 3 schools in Najaf, Iraq benefiting over 2,500 students.

NineMillion.org/UNHCR to make uniforms, school supplies, and learning materials available to over 2,000 Iraqi children who have been internally displaced or forced to flee to Jordan and other neighboring nations.

"These educational support programs for children of conflict are the best way to help them heal," said Jolie.

For children in the United States, Jolie-Pitt is contributing $500,000 to the Armed Services YMCA Operation Hero Program who helps thousands of military children separated from a parent serving in Iraq - and many who've lost a parent.

Pitt and Jolie hope their contribution is just the start.

"We hope to encourage others to give to these great organizations," stated Brad Pitt.

If you'd like to follow Angelina and Brad's lead and donate to the cause, click here.

Or you can simply send an e-card, that helps educate people about the organization.

Petunia reaches out to the children of Haiti

Twice a year, our client Petunia Pickle Bottom, holds an incredible Outlet Sale of Certified Seconds and Discontinued Classics from their line of gorgeous diaper bags.  A portion of the proceeds from each sale is earmarked for donation to local and global children’s Charity groups.

This year, the Petunia sale was so successful that the company was able to donate more than $6,500 to the remarkable Hands & Feet Project. 

Hands & Feet is a non-profit children's village located in Jacmel, Haiti.  The project's mission it is to care for the many children orphaned by political violence and disease in that country. 

Korie Conant of Petunia relates,“We met with Hands and Feet co-founder Mark Stuart and were impressed with how he and his organization are truly making a difference. Each orphan at the Hands & Feet project is given a new life with medical attention, education, and a nurturing environment. We are honored that we might have a hand in changing a child’s life for the better through our donation.”

The Hands & Feet Project started in 2004 with only a parcel of land and a passion to make a difference.  Mark Stuart and his band Audio Adrenaline embarked on the construction of facilities to care for the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of orphans in Haiti.  Hands & Feet now cares for more than 34 children, from 2-months to 9-years old and has plans to open another home in Nicaragua. By connecting world-renowned bands with each new site opening, the goal of Hands & Feet is to promote a call for help by utilizing the influence of pop culture to bring about awareness, compassion and aid to children in need around the world.

Nicole Richie, Joel Madden make a plea for UNICEF

Style: Vanessa Williams at the 33rd annual March of Dimes Beauty Ball in New York

The 33rd annual March of Dimes Beauty Ball in New York brought out Vanessa Williams, and many more last night.

Vanessa, wearing a lovely one-shoulder draped Vera Wang gown, hosted the event.

The long sleek look of the brown silk gown was accented simply with a pair of cylindrical earrings and a strong (almost masculine) cuff.

Wang said the dress was inspired by the TV series Rome. 

The event was also hosted by Bernd Beetz, CEO, Coty Inc. and Vera Wang.

Note:  Coty makes Vera Wang's Princess fragrance collection, as well as the collections of Jennifer Lopez, Marc Jacobs, and Sarah Jessica Parker.  Be sure to see my notes about the fabulous book, The Perfect Scent, by Chandler Burr at left.

photo: Wireimage

Here birdy, birdy....

Next week take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count.

From February 15-18 take a walk outside and count birds for as little or as long as you want during the four-day period.

Tally the highest number of birds of each species seen together at any one time and report your findings at the Great Backyard Bird Count web site.

This four-day event engages bird watchers of all ages to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent.

Your counts can helps answer many questions:

•   How will this winter's snow and cold temperatures influence bird populations?

• Where are winter finches and other “irruptive” species that appear in large numbers during some years but not others?

• How will the timing of birds’ migrations compare with past years?

• How are bird diseases, such as West Nile virus, affecting birds in different regions?

• What kinds of differences in bird diversity are apparent in cities versus suburban, rural, and natural areas?

• Are any birds undergoing worrisome declines that point to the need for conservation attention?

To get your enthusiasm up, watch this fantastic video of the Lyre Bird from the BBC:

Raise awareness about Heart Disease - February 1

National Wear Red Day, Friday February 1st, is a fun way to show support and awareness of women's heart disease. 

Diane Lane definately rocks this cute red and white number. But if by chance your red wardrobe is lacking, we suggest lighting a red candle to show your support of the cause.

How about lighting up a lovely Red Moroccan Spice Candle from Illume? Select a pillar and place it in a hurricane  jar for safety and the warm scent and delicate glow will help bring awareness to an office or retail place that wants to be part of the effort.  You can also group varied sizes and shapes on a tray with some information about women's heart disease.

While we've been focused for years on preventing and treating breast cancer, the fact that Heart Disease is the number one killer of women in the United States has been more or less swept under the rug. 

Here are some facts:

Heart Disease is the #1 killer of American Women.  One in every three women dies of heart disease. One in 30 dies of breast cancer.  Women’s heart disease risk starts to rise in middle age.  About 3 million American women have had a heart attack.  Two-thirds of American women who have had a heart attack don’t make a full recovery.  Nearly two-thirds of American women who die suddenly of a heart attack had no prior symptoms.  Americans can lower their risk of heart disease by as much as 82 percent just by leading a healthy lifestyle.  Awareness of heart disease as the leading cause of death has increased from 30 percent in 1997 to 46 percent in 2003.  Only 20 percent of women consider heart disease to be their own greatest health risk.

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Spectacular Cause: Kiva.org

Kiva is a remarkable organization that really helps unite and aid people all over the world!  Here Bill Clinton gives an impassioned description of how it works.  

Keep Flora Free!

                                                   Flora is a 22-year-old female African elephant (Loxodonta africana). She was born 1982 in Zimbabwe, Africa, and was orphaned at the age of two, when her family was poached for their ivory.

Upon her arrival in America, Flora was adopted by a circus that still bares her name. Flora performed in the circus for over 18 years, and while an assortment of human and animal friends provided some sense of a family life, she had not lived with another elephant in nearly two decades.

In 2001, Flora was adopted by Ahali Elephants, and moved from the circus to Miami's MetroZoo, where she could be with other African elephants until a permanent home was located.

An opportunity came about to return Flora to Africa, specifically to the 2,200-square-mile Mkomazi Game Reserve in Tanzania, where another captive African elephant had been successfully reintroduced into a wild herd. Ahali's founders were introduced to the idea by Dr. Daphne Sheldrick, renowned for her elephant and rhino orphanage in Kenya. But to everyone's disappointment the opportunity fell through.

Fortunately, The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, decided to expand their facilities from a 200-acre habitat to an enormous 2,700-acre natural habitat preserve that can now sustain up to 100 elephants of both species (they previously only had room for Asian elephants).

As soon as Ahali learned the good news, David Balding, Flora's longtime caregiver, approached the Sanctuary and asked if there was room for Flora. The truth was there was not, so Ahali committed to raise $200,000 to add room for Flora. The Sanctuary could not say no.

Ahali established Flora’s Endowment Fund to raise the $200,000 needed to provide for her expenses at The Elephant Sanctuary.

The Sanctuary completed construction of the new African elephant house in December 2003. Tange and Zula, two African elephants from Chehaw Wild Animal Park in Georgia, were the first African elephants to take up residence at the Elephant Sanctuary.

On March 3, 2004, Flora's 22nd birthday, she arrived at The Elephant Sanctuary and joined her new friends Tange and Zula.

Keep up-to-date on Flora's adventures with her new family at The Elephant Sanctuary by visiting http://www.africanelephants.org/

Buy a Free Flora Tee (like Paris Hilton has shown below) and $10 from each shirt sold, goes to Flora's Endowment Fund at The Elephant Sanctuary. http://www.africanelephants.org/2_freeflorashop.html

                   --photos and text courtesy Ahali Elephants