Dress for a Dream

This is a repost from Robert Stockham. This woman is amazing, and she's such a supporter of charity and basically bends backwards to help people out. Here's the repost. Please donate if you can!

"My friend Rebecca is an avid believer in charity works. This dress sale is the same as what she and her friends and family worked so hard to put on last year. It’s in Youngstown and will benefit a local non-profit called the Silver Lining Cancer Fund. They provide financial assistance to Youngstown area cancer patients. Typically it’s $150/month, and you can use it toward fuel for your car or transport service for your appointment (especially if your insurance doesn’t cover transportation), meds that your insurance doesn’t cover, supplies, groceries, etc. They’re incredible!

My dad lost his 6 year battle with cancer in April of 2008. Chemotherapy, radiation and two heart attacks took their toll. In 2006, my aunt found out about the Silver Lining Cancer Fund. They’re a non-profit designed to provide financial assistance to Youngstown/Warren/Western PA cancer patients. They were a huge source of support to our parents. We asked that instead of flowers for his funeral, people make donations to Silver Lining in our dad’s memory.

To honor him, we decided to host a recycled formal wear sale and donate 100% of our proceeds to the Silver Lining Cancer Fund. We called it “Dress for a Dream”, and we made $1500 in donations. Due to the success of last year, we decided to do it again this year.

On Saturday, March 27th we’ll be hosting our 2nd annual formal wear sale to benefit the Silver Lining Cancer Fund from 10am-2pm at St. Dominic’s Parish Center on Southern Blvd. We’re currently accepting donations of prom dresses, bridesmaid dresses and cocktail/party/formal dresses (shoes, jewelry, and purses too!). The dresses are being sold for $10 per dress ($20 for a wedding dress) with 100% of the proceeds going to the Silver Lining Cancer Fund. With the economic climate as scary as it is, we understand that some families may not be able to afford a luxury item such as a prom dress.

People can feel free to check us out on Facebook at:
2nd Annual Dress For a Dream Sale

Or follow us on Twitter:
@dressforadream

Or call/email us:
Rebecca Murray-Strong (for Cleveland/Akron donations)
216-496-8442
strong.rebecca3@gmail.com

Rachel Murray (for Youngstown/Warren/Western PA donations)
Murray.rachel@att.com
330-402-7173

Cathy Murray (for Youngstown/Warren/Western PA donations)
330-501-8447

Do your friends a favor and share this with them!

Etsy right in my blog!

hey ya'll! Etsy has this fancy schmancy new trick. You can add it right to your blog page. So, from now on, you'll see my latest 5 etsy pieces in the right hand column of this blog. Just click on a pic to see that image, or scroll to right under the pics to the link that says "littleliondesigns".

Also, you can now shop my etsy site right from facebook! If you go to my facebook page (click here), then become a fan, you can click the tab that says "etsy" on my little lion page and it will open up my etsy shop right in facebook. Pretty neat, eh?

Here's my latest. I loves it! I hope you do too! Of course, I couldn't get the camera to take a good picture of it, but you get the idea.

new piece

click image to make bigger.
I thought it was time I went back to how I USED to draw. I used to do only people. To show some versatility in that I don't only do cute animals, I did this piece. It's available for sale through me (not etsy). If I don't sell it before, it will be at my show at Bela Dubby in Lakewood in June. :)

hola

So, it seems that nobody can find me on etsy. Etsy doesn't allow spaces in their names. So, if you search, you have to search "littleliondesigns" (no quotations and no spaces). But here is the link, just in case you would like it. :)
www.littleliondesigns.etsy.com

All of my new work appears weekly on facebook as well. Please feel free to take a look! While you're there, please become a fan and spread the word!
www.facebook.com/littleliondesigns

Unemployment is nearing its end. I was hoping to have this business rockin' and rollin' enough to survive off of. BUT...not there yet. Heads up though, available work is now being sold at Local Girl Gallery in Lakewood. ALSO, Bela Dubby Coffee Shop & Bar has me scheduled for June. So, all of June, my work will be up and for sale there! I will have a gallery opening in early June for this. So, stay tuned!

Here's some sneak peaks into the latest stuff:

this is CHD awareness week

I am ashamed at myself for not making the time to make this known on my blog sooner. It might be national healthy heart month, but this exact week (from the 7th-14th) is CHD awareness week.
There are many angels that have been lost, but they are now up in heaven together without the limits of the human body. My daughter has taught me that there is no room for anything but love and that which comes from a place of love, in our lives. She has taught me how to live, what I had to remove in order to live this way....the guilt, the negativity, the nay-sayers.... I am now surrounded in love. We are surrounded in love and only love. And the only person who could have done that for us was our own child.
We love you, Kaia Belle Urban!
Please take a moment to honor our angels by clicking here.

If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, I urge you to watch this video. This simple newborn screening could save your child's life. We almost went home with Kaia because the doctors thought she was healthy. If it wasn't for my c-section, this would have been our reality too.
click here & hopefully you can view this. It's on facebook.

Here are the solid facts:
CHD is an anomaly of the heart that is present at birth. CHD’s cause one or more portions of the heart to develop abnormally. At least 35 distinct forms recognized.
(There is no known cause for CHD, although genetics is the number one suspect)

CHD is the # 1 birth defect and is the leading cause of birth-defect related deaths…
(While it is the most common birth defect, it is the least publicized.)

CHD strikes children without regard to economic level, ethnic origin, sex, geographic location or religious beliefs.

40,000 infants are born with CHD each year in the U.S.
(Still, newborns are not screened for CHD’s.)

Some babies may be diagnosed before birth or at birth, some not until days, weeks, months or even years later. Sadly, too many are not diagnosed until after death.

Undiagnosed CHD’s and Childhood Onset Heart Disease cause many cases of Sudden Cardiac Death in young athletes.
(Despite these statistics, teen-aged athletes are not routinely screened for CHD’s.)

There are 1.2 million children and adults with CHD alive today
(CHD affects not only patients, but also entire families.)

The Chosen Mothers

The Chosen Mothers
By Erma Bombeck

Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressures, and a couple by habit.
Did you ever wonder how mothers of children with life threatening illnesses are chosen?

Somehow, I visualize God hovering over Earth selecting His instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As He observes, He instructs His angels to make notes in a giant ledger.

"Armstrong, Beth, son, patron saint Matthew. Forrest, Marjorie, daughter, patron saint Cecilia. Rutledge, Carrie, twins, patron saint Gerard."

Finally, He passes a name to an angel and says, "Give her a child with cancer." The angel is curious. "Why this one God? She's so happy."

"Exactly" smiles God, "Could I give a child with cancer a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel."
"But, does she have patience?" asks the angel.

"I don't want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wears off, she will handle it."

"I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has it's own world. She has to make it live in her world an that's not going to be easy."

"But, Lord, I don't think she believes in you." No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough selfishness." The angel gasps -"Selfishness? is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take anything her child does for granted. She will never consider a single step ordinary. I will permit her to see clearly the things I see...ignorance, cruelty, prejudice...and allow her to rise above them." She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life, because she is doing My work as surely as if she is here by My side."

"And what about her patron Saint?" asks the angel. His pen poised in mid-air. God smiles, "A mirror will suffice."