Volunteerism Shout Out with Advil!

I am participating in a sponsored campaign hosted by Advil® as a part of the Advil® Relief in Action campaign. I received compensation for this post. While all opinions stated are my own, I make no claims about Advil® as a product or its effectiveness. Today’s post is a special one - I’m working with Advil® to talk about volunteerism and in turn getting to highlight one of my most favorite people who embodies doing good. My girl, Courtney Collins, founder of the children’s craft studio little junebugs is volunteer extraordinaire who works with a variety of children’s organizations including CoachArt, Pablove Shutterbugs, and Milk + Bookies.

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I’m in awe of everything she does – not only is she an incredible paper flower creator (she made me the most insane arrangement here), her studio, little junebugs, is a community partner with CoachArt which is a non-profit that provides children living with chronic illnesses and their siblings an experience to help improve their quality of life. Each month the studio has an afternoon of team crafting with the kids, creating everything from puppet shows to oversized comic books, that are shown at an art show after a three-month session.

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“We want to cry with pride at how much these kids come out of their shells, the friendships they have made with their teammates, and how proud they are of the art they have created. When we have CoachArt, it is my favorite day of the month.”

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Courtney is working on her very own program at the moment (paperwork’s in the mail!) where little junebugs will be directly serving children with chronic illness through teamwork, creativity and their imagination in January 2014.

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“I really want to be able to open our magical studio to more families and to be able to do more with what I’ve built at little junebugs. It’s been tough, we have almost had to close our shop three times this year, but miracles just keep us (and myself) going. I am super optimistic that I can stay in business and grow my program.”

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“When providing relief to others, I get an incredible confirmation that I am doing a good job sharing the best qualities and talent I was blessed with...and constant inspiration.”

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There is nothing that brings me more joy than seeing my friends do awesome things and be the awesome people that they are. Courtney is such an inspiration and is exactly the person that the Advil® Relief in Action initiative is saluting. She’s one of the millions of volunteers who give when it comes to helping others. Everyday people who are there for others.

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The Advil® Relief in Action campaign honors volunteers who actively give back. Earlier this year, as part of the Advil® Relief in Action program, Advil® donated a portion of the price of participating bottles to Habitat for Humanity® International and Wounded Warrior Project® so their volunteers could get the relief they needed, and get back to giving back. It’s awesome to show love and respect to those who are doing so much good around us - you are a crafty, one-of-a-kind rock star, CC.

I can’t wait to start working with Courtney come the new year in her brand new endeavor! What are some of the things that you volunteer for, want to begin volunteering for, or do to help others?

Click here to see more BlogHer posts from Advil® Relief in Action. Like Advil® on Facebook and follow @ReliefinAction on Twitter and Instagram. Share your own Relief in Action by posting pictures with the hash tag #ReliefinAction on Twitter and Instagram.

Remake: Striped Quilted Panel Dress

This divine dress I snagged at Goodwill is getting some airplay!! New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress - quilted front - Goodwill

I had to get this dress when I saw the amazing stripe business.  I love stripes and saw the potential immediately!  However that panel on the front was SO incredibly detailed.  Someone spent a LOT of time working on it.

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress - quilted front - Goodwill

I'm very certain that this will be able to jump the "not-so-much-in-public" look to chic status in no time!

I began by removing that front panel.  It's going away, however I will most definitely find a good home for it!

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress - quilted front - Goodwill

I went around the entire front panel with my seam ripper...

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress - quilted front - Goodwill

...until the piece was completely removed!!

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress - quilted front - Goodwill

Next I worked on the length.  You can see a little black mark right to the left of the scissors (that was hidden by the panel) which I used as the spot where I wanted the dress to hit.  I cut...

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress - quilted front - Goodwill

I pinned...

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress - quilted front - Goodwill

I pressed...

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress - quilted front - Goodwill

...and then went onto the neckline.  I wanted to open it up, so I created an easy V shape.

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress - quilted front - Goodwill

I stitched the neckline as well as the hem...

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress - quilted front - Goodwill

...and had a dress ready to dance in!!  Those stripes are the new focal point!!

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress - quilted front - Goodwill

And just think...there was a huge panel on the front of this dress just a little while ago.

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress - quilted front - Goodwill

For some fun options, I grabbed two different purses to try out.

First I took a thin, tasselled black purse from my collection to try out for a black and white look and then grabbed my Alexander McQueen-esque DIY purse that I made on the Ricki Lake Show for a poppy, red option.  (The clip from the show is all the way at the bottom of the post if you want to watch!)

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress - quilted front - Goodwill

They both worked perfectly with the heels - a pair of almost brand new Pour La Victoire's that I scored at Crossroads!

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress - quilted front - Goodwill

I love that this piece is so basic.

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress - quilted front - Goodwill

You can really have fun with the styling, bringing lots of color into it with bright jackets or sweaters or even give it more sparkle with a sequined cardigan.

New Dress A Day - DIY - vintage dress - quilted front - Goodwill

I can't wait to play around with this dress even more. This might be the one that gets a week's worth of looks created around it!  Stay tuned!

stripeddress on Make A Gif

Ricki Lake clip for your viewing pleasure...

Outfit Tweak: Orange Polka Dot Sweater

So today's remake wasn't originally a "remake" because it was in really great condition...so I thought.  I went down to San Diego for the Chargers/Broncos game yesterday and toted this piece along with me to wear.  I was in the company of Broncos fans, so I thought I'd cheer along with them in shades of orange.  I borrowed a Denver Broncos t-shirt to don and thought this piece would complement it nicely.  Who doesn't love a little orange polka-dot business? New Dress A Day - Vintage Sweater - DIY

I was so excited to have a little cover up (for cooler temps and sun blockage issues) until I saw these.

New Dress A Day - Vintage Sweater - DIY

HOLES!!  There were a few on the back and one big one on the shoulder.  I got this piece a few months ago and washed it right away, however I must have just missed these little suckers.  Luckily for me, I always come prepared with some needles and thread in the purse.  (I know, it's nuts, however if you ever run into me and are having a wardrobe malfunction, guess who's gonna get you out of it??  Needles, thread, safety pins, double stick tape...you need it, I got it!)  So, I got stitching...

...and if it means stitching in the car while cruising to the arena, it means stitching in the car while cruising to the arena!

New Dress A Day - Vintage Sweater - DIY

I made some easy hand stitches to close up the holes on the back and shoulder of the piece.  In minutes, the sweater looked brand vintage-y new!

New Dress A Day - Vintage Sweater - DIY

Since I wasn't completely privy to the new purse (cannot be larger than 6.5" x 4.5" and if it is it's got to be clear) rules, I had to check my old Dooney & Bourke bag and get one of these guys to hold my belongings while inside the stadium.  Ziploc DIY purse?  It just might be the newest/hottest thing to come from the NFL's new rules.

New Dress A Day - Vintage Sweater - DIY

It turned out to be such a warm and comfy afternoon in San Diego!!  Nice seatmates, great view - perfect game day elements!

New Dress A Day - Vintage Sweater - DIY

Plus it's always the best day when I get to catch up with gal extraordinaire JW, who not only shot the photos in my book, but who also rocks the sports anchor/reporter gig like a boss for the Fox affiliate in San Diego.

New Dress A Day - Vintage Sweater - DIY

The sweater is back to almost new!  It's going to be fun to pair with dresses next time.

After a day with good football, good friends, and good nachos/chicken nuggets (yep, we went there...), it was time to bid adieu and head back to Los Angeles.  But not without one final shot...

New Dress A Day - Vintage Sweater - DIY

OK, well second to final shot.  This picture that JW took from the press box was the best one of the day...

New Dress A Day - Qualcomm Stadium - Veteran's Day Crowd Shot - Broncos/Chargers

So cool to see this spelled out in the crowd!  Happy Veteran's Day!