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Women’s Campaign International “Spring to Make a Difference” West Coast Fundraiser

By | Press Releases | No Comments

For Immediate Release:

“Spring to Make a Difference” Marks Another Fundraising Success for Women’s Campaign International and Their First Annual West Coast Event

(April 26, 2013—Beverly Hills, CA) Graciously hosted at the historic Beverly Hills estate of Rodeo Realty owners Syd and Linda Leibovitch, Women’s Campaign International (WCI) kicked off their first annual fundraiser on Sunday, April 21st, 2013. From 2-5pm, guests enjoyed live music from DJ Lamont Pete, singer/songwriter Maddie Miller, Ghana’s international music star Rocky Dawuni, and intimate performance by R&B soul singer John Legend.  While relaxing to poolside sounds, Mexican fare donated on behalf of Poquito Mas, free-flowing margaritas, and Sweet Megan Desserts (GlutenFreeSweetMegan.com) were indulged by all.

“Spring to Make a Difference” attendees included donors and high society; Grammy-winners Macy Gracy, James Ingram, and Omar Akram; politicians such as U.S. Congresswomen Maxine Waters and Marjorie Margolies, and Los Angeles Mayoral candidate Eric Garcetti; Hulk/Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’s John Littlefield, Ellen DeGeneres’s DJ/Actor Tony Okungbowa, Chinese Model/Actress Bai Ling, “The Talk” host Sheryl Underwood, NBA Clipper player Matt Barnes and “Basketball Wives” Gloria Govan were amongst many of the celebrities in support of WCI.

Women’s Campaign International received generous donations and winning bids from silent auction items supporting New York Fashion Week experiences with Diane Von Furstenberg and Michael B, Broadway tickets to “Chicago”, 3 night stay aKa New York, Third Street Dance Studio classes, Jay Leno show tickets, drum lessons with John Densmore of the Doors, Bedhead Pjs, Neal Rogers signed guitar, “Lock Your Love” candle and fragrance collection, Daniel Maltzman fine art, VIP tickets to a John Legend concert, Meredith Baer home staging, Fender Squier Stratocaster bullet series, and famous autographed photos, prints, and books.

Supporting sponsors included: I.C.O.N. Professional Hair Products (ICONproducts.com), Calton Nutrition                                (CaltonNutrition.com), Votivo Candles (Votivo.com), Spadaro Perfume (Spadaro.co), Green & Black Organic Chocolate       (GreenAndBlacks.com/us), Competition 101 Racing School  (Competition101.com), Gotham Dream Cars                                      (GothamDreamCars.com), Daniel Gravel Salon (DGSalon.com), Nutiva Hemp Seeds (Nutiva.com), and Beverly Hills Master Crafted 902H0 water (BeverlyWater.com).

Marjorie Margolies, WCI founder and former Pennsylvania Congresswoman, was amazed by the warm hearts and generosity expressed in support of her charity. In response to this past weekend’s success Marjorie stated, “Women’s Campaign International was thrilled to successfully launch our first fundraiser in LA on Sunday. Some 250 interested and passionate LA supporters of women’s leadership around the world joined us in our mission to empower women so they can transform their lives and communities. Long established on the East Coast, WCI is excited to spread its mission to supporters across the country. WCI’s work in more than 40 countries in the last 15 years is just the beginning. It was clear to those who gathered with us on Sunday, GO IT!”

For more information on the Women’s Campaign International or how you can get involved in future events, please contact Jade Umbrella’s Stacey Barker (Stacey@jadeumbrella.com) or Erica Hill (Erica@jadeumbrella.com).

About Women’s Campaign International (WCI): Founded in 1998, WCI’s programs help women find their voices by giving them tangible skills in political leadership, conflict mitigation, economic empowerment, and civic engagement. WCI aims to empower women of all ages to transform communities. Working in emerging democracies and post conflict regions around the world, WCI equips women to actively participate in public advocacy, market, and political process. In providing the requisite skills, knowledge and culturally sensitive support, WCI develops leaders globally who transform the lives of everyone they serve. More information on the charity can be found at WomensCampaignInternational.org.

 

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Springtime S-W-A-G is Blooming…

By | Jade's Top Ten | No Comments

So the boob tube this time of year is packed full of hoops, hoops, and more hooplah. What’s a girl to do when her man is glued to the flat screen, screaming at a NBA game that never seems to end? Well Team Jade is spring’s biggest cheerleader off the court. We’ll happily skip the buffalo chicken dip and Siracha Lays for these flowery finds.  Blooming from gift bags and lounges these past couple months, these items are worth shouting about!

4688(1) I  scream you scream, we all scream for SUNSCREEN!  With the scoreboard stress this time of year, spring having sprung, and Vitamin D outside calling our names, May marks the season to start spreading on the higher SPF. Colorescience’s Sunforgettable Mineral Sunscreen Brush SPF 30 ($50.00) is a lightweight mineral powder with a barely-there feel that provides a safe, non-irritating, instant UVA and UVB sun protection. The self-dispensing powder brush makes this sheer formula easy to apply and reapply throughout the day. Excellent for on the go sun protection! ColoreScience.com

 

(2) Rub a dub dub, everyone needs a little SHEA in the tub! Everyday Shea (EDS) Moisturizing Body Wash ($13.99) has become a staple in our showers. Certified Fair Trade Body Care, it’s a blend of aqueous neem leaf extract, traditional shea butter soap, and mild plant based surfactants. Together, these ingredients form a natural body wash that foams well and cleans completely without stripping skin’s natural oils. EDS Moisturizing Body Wash is plant based, SLS free, gluten free and made without animal testing. It’s available in unscented, lavender, vanilla mint, and coconut (our Jade fave!!!). EverydayShea.com

NutriBullet

 

(3) “As seen on Tv”, the NutriBullet ($119.94) is an everyday kitchen gadget to help jumpstart weight loss and get onto a healthier path in the food department. Having been the proud owners of both Brewville and Vitamix devices throughout our juicing addiction over the years, this 600 watt motorized, superfood nutrition extractor is truly unlike any juicer or blender. The Nutribullet completely breaks down ingredients into their most nutritious, most absorptive state, all while keeping the “mess” in 2 parts to clean (the cup and the bottom of the cup). It’s ridiculously convenient and you can even drink directly out of it, too. BPA-free, it completely liquifies kale and carrots, and chops nuts to a drinkable,smoothie state. This is the ultimate dieter’s  dream! NutriBullet.com

 

Mrs. Renfro's Jalapeño Peppers

(4) We’re feeling HOT, HOT, HOT thanks to Mrs. Renfro’s JalapeñoPeppers (15 oz. $3.25). If you’re like us and have a thing for turning up the heat, these slices are just what your salad, tacos, or turkey burger have been missing! RenfroFoods.com

 

What Odor?(5) Wave goodbye to embarrassing and lingering odors. What Odor (1 oz. $3.99) is safe for people, pets, and the planet! Non-hazardous, non-toxic, and non-flammable, it’s safe to use on fabric, carpet, rugs, and upholstery. We love the travel size that fits in your purse, especially for overnights or trips out of town with large groups all staying under the same roof. PrestigePet.com

 

IMAK's Smart Glove

 

(6) Kick Carpal Tunnel to the curb! IMAK’s Smart Glove ($28.99) is the answer to pain associated from Carpal Tunnel or rather, the computer disease. This flexible support splint forces you to ergo-nomically correct your wrist position while typing at a computer a massaging with an ergoBeads® pad under the wrist to  cushion and improve circulation. IMAKproducts.com

Watt's Hyaluronic Acid Solution
(7) Watts Beauty 100% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Solution ($14.69) helps boost elasticity, moisture, and naturally stimulates the body’s generation of collagen without clogging pores. Made in the USA and organically preserved without alcohol and parabens, we highly recommended this as a moisturizer for anti-aging and all skin types. In case you didn’t know, Hyaluronic acid is naturally produced by the body and as a foundation for our skin it holds up to 1000 times its weight in water. Compared to other formulations we’ve tried from Sephora and Ulta for $80 plus, this is far superior. You’ll notice a difference in the smoothness of your skin after the first application and in your pocketbook alike. WattsBeauty.com

Lighthouse Freeze Dried Herbs

 

(8) Are you a Top Chef in your kitchen and can’t get enough of flavors, flavors, flavors? Stop throwing away those fresh herbs you just bought with our new discovery of Litehouse Freeze Dried Herbs ($4.49). Easy breezy and convenient to use, these herbs will wake up any stove top   quinoa, soups, or sautéed veggies. Our pantries are now stocked with everything from freeze dried jalapeño rings and red onion, to ginger and lemongrass. LitehouseFoods.com

Blue Sky Free Soda

 

(9) Wanna soda without the sugar? Blue Sky Free Soda ($4.99 6 pk) is the bomb.com! All natural calorie and caffeine free, Blue Sky Free prides itself on having 100% of its ingredients come from the earth. Clap clap for this carbonation fix! The Vanilla Cherry flavor makes us smile and the lemon lime is a superb, alternate mixer for white tequila or vodka. BlueSkySoda.com

 

Green & Black Organic Chocolate

(10) Saving our sweet tooth for last, Green & Black’sOrganic Dark Chocolate Bars (3.5 oz. $2.99) were a huge hit for guests in attendance @ WCI’s  recent fundraiser with soul singer John Legend. The perfect blend of dark chocolate, toasted hazelnuts, and sweetness of fruit, it was truly love at first bite sampling the Hazelnut & Currant variation. Available at Whole Foods and Trader Joes, we are eager to try the Ginger and Maya Gold next. GreenAndBlacks.com

 

A special thank you to Lucky FABB, Aloxxi Hair, Women’s Campaign International, Art.Life, Taste of Cuba, the St. Petersburg Grand Prix, and Miami Fashion Week for all our awesome event goodies to add to “Jade’s Top Ten”.  Our “Stash for Summer” is in the works and til’ then may we toast to Emma Racine de Fleur’s  words of the season–“In spring time, love is carried on the breeze. Watch out for flying passion or kisses whizzing by your head.”

Be blessed, be J-A-D-E-D…

 

JadeUmbrella.com

 

 

 

 

Cul-de-Sac Conundrum…

By | Green is GOOD... | 5 Comments

Over the weekend my “bestie” and I hosted a neighborhood block party. To our surprise, it was a tremendous turnout and of such community spirit, we can’t wait to have another one. Why is it that we are surround by so many special people of so much depth and breath to life, that we rarely take the time to extend ourselves? My “T” is one of those women whom you can’t help but to soak up her non-stop energy, get drunk in her creative juices, and melt into her mushy heart. She is my true definition of the Midwest and the truth behind the saying “home is where your heart is”. “T” is that person who shows her soul with the world, shares your tears and your smiles, sprinkles her love for life onto everything she touches, expresses gratitude in ways that make tears fall from your eyes, and gets excited about those “little things” that the bulk of my address book is too bored to swallow. Trust me, being a transplant from the Midwest is challenging enough because people aren’t sure how to register your way of the world. However, having a partner in crime to capture the essence of a city built on entertainment and relish in its often silly attitude, is priceless. Just like my family, she keeps me grounded and my soul fed. The world can be a cruel place if there’s not a filter surrounding you, reminding you of its beauty and to lift you up–especially if submerged in an industry surrounded by a lot of “noise”. My wish for everyone is to have a friend to aid as ear muffs, to keep you full of love and light, and without judgement like my “T”.

Now for the “NA-NU, NA-NU” and serendipitous story tale of how our adult lives merged. Apparently our friendship dates back to decades past, where my father and “T’s” father conducted business and we were the wee ones tugging on our fathers’ shirt tails in the office. “T’s” father has been my father’s accountant for the past 25 plus years in Indiana so we found out. Years ago tax time, our fathers put two and two together, their daughters had dually migrated Hoosier blood to So Cal and were “Valley Girls” at that. The conversation grew deeper and deeper and more bazaar coincidences surfaced. The DING-DING DING moment was my father asking her father “Is your daughter a stunt woman by chance?” and her father asking my father ” Is your daughter in public relations and fashion?”… “Yes”….”Yes” they both said. Our fathers had determined we were literally next door neighbors, though “T” and I had already formed the most fabulous of friendship without even knowing our history. WEIRD, right? That was no accident. What is the likelihood of two friends stuck like glue who move into the same cul-de-sac, whose husbands play basketball together 3x a week (sidebar: we swear they hold hands on the way to the gym), friends all get along like peas and carrots, and love one another like family, to meet later in life and of such a “Butterfly Effect”? To have happenstance such as this and to have our friendship and families linked as we are, there is no doubt in my mind that things absolutely happen for a reason. I’m a believer!!! Happenstance makes for many heartstrings and we are far more connected than we are able to even wrap our heads around. Life IS beautiful like that. Amazeballs actually…

This year we lost a mutual dear friend to a job in the South. She’s what we used to call the new school version of yesteryear’s “Welcome Wagon”. Every time a resident had big news, needed help, or cause for a celebration, “R” was the one-stop shop for spreading the word and making things happen. From Christmas Caroling, welcoming new neighbors, Neighborhood Watch, or congratulating new births, “T” and I have had some monstrous shoes to fill to say the least. There’s no way we can be what “R” was to this community, but we attempted a spin-off version of her. A block party isn’t a block party without a neighborhood’s help, period. This past Sunday, we saw all sorts of new neighbors in the mix and realized community comes down to connecting the dots. People will make time if you help with the push. There were married couples, singles, elderly, moms, dads, single parents, and kids who hung out for four hours plus. We rocked out to a 70’s cover band, bounce house, free-flowing booze, and feasted on the most amazing pot luck spread I’ve ever seen. Gourmet a GO-GO!

Our neighbors went ALL OUT and so did my “T” with her “Witches Brew” and Halloween set up. Seeing as she has two kids under the age of two at home and had just come back from an art fair the day before where she was selling her homemade soy candles, “T” really is one of those mom’s who can DO IT ALL and DOES. Full of color and a modern-day version of Rainbow Brite, there wasn’t anything she hadn’t thought of. Most people would’ve fallen apart if their co-host had come down with a 24 hour bug the day of an event. Not my “T”…she blazed through the fire of making sure everything was on point and filled in the blanks as if she’d written the script ahead of time. I on the other hand, could barely get my Buffalo Chicken sliders out for showtime. Perrier was my salvation and so was my “T”. The hubby was pretty great, too. A bit of a knight in not so shiny armor, but rather Puma sweats I might say…he definitely got a dose of “Sister Wives” that day. Lots of requests from multiple women and a longer “Honey DO” list than usual.

In this life and as we add candles to the cake, it is times like these where you realize the importance of sitting back, putting your feet up, marinating your friendships, and taking the initiative to go out of your way to integrate your community. So much can be celebrated and learned from those around you. Friendship circles can grow bigger, BBQs can become more fun, and to your surprise you just may stumble into a new friend of commonality or shared street name. So today I salute my fellow Midwesterner, friends, family, and business partner who share these same values. I love my cul-de-sac, even though I always swore the suburbs would be the death of me back in the day. It’s funny how the years have frayed that viewpoint. Friendships grow where there is life and we all are very much alive. Open your doors, open your hearts, and take a chance on your community. Happy accidents to all and may you bounce in similar blessings…