#FearlessMom Campaign

Maimah Karmo, a Liberian refugee and young mother of a toddler, was 32 when she received her breast cancer diagnosis. She was also engaged at the time, and her fiancé left her right before the wedding. Maimah's world turned upside-down, but instead of letting her disease beat her, Maimah turned her plight into action.

Maimah is the founder of the Tigerlily Foundation, an organization that educates, empowers and advocates for young women affected by breast cancer. The idea was born after her second chemotherapy treatment, and when she appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to tell her story, Oprah's advice was clear. "Write a book," Oprah instructed.

So Maimah did. Fearless: Awakening to My Life's Purpose Through Breast Cancer (Brown Books, October 2012) is about "my transformation," says Maimah, "and how I learned that a challenge can be a gift."

Fearless is a stunning account of Maimah's upbringing in Liberia—which was uprooted when she was 16 years old, and her family was forced to flee to the US—to living the American Dream, watching it all fall apart with a breast cancer diagnosis, and ultimately, bouncing back. Today, Maimah has single-handedly changed the world of breast cancer diagnosis and recovery, and her work has been celebrated everywhere from Redbook Magazine to ­­­­Good Morning America.

"I am dedicated to changing the breast cancer landscape and creating a legacy of a world free of breast cancer," says Maimah.

In 2009, L'Oreal's Paris Woman of Worth chose Maimah as the recipient of their Award, and the Congressional Black Caucus Leadership in Advocacy awarded Maimah in 2011. She and the Tigerlily Foundation have been profiled in numerous national outlets: O, the Oprah Magazine, Essence, Ladies Home Journal, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, and Redbook. She has also appeared on national television media, including The Oprah Winfrey Show,Good Morning America, FOX, ABC News, and CBS.

 "The morning my life changed, I made a vow to live as loudly as possible. I would jump into the things that made me afraid; I would risk everything to feel, to live and to love. Most of all, I would be fully present in life and give of myself so that others may have the incredible joy I feel every day of my life," says Maimah.

How can you participate in the campaign for Fearless Moms?

Is there a mom in your life who is absolutely FEARLESS? Has she overcome odds that were overwhelmingly against her? Does she constantly take-on life’s curve balls with poise and positivity?  Above all, is she an overwhelming source of love, encouragement and inspiration? We’re on a mission to honor these leading ladies in our lives and need your help!

• Think of a Fearless Mom in your life and feature her on your blog. Share the post with Maimah Karmo on Twitter (@MaimahKarmo) with the hashtag, #FearlessMom and on Maimah’s Facebook page. 

• Send the link to your blog post featuring your selection for a Fearless Mom to Claire@prbythebook.com by December 31^st, 2012.

Five nominees will be selected to attend Maimah’s Fearless Female Conference next year. They will also receive Maimah’s book, Fearless: Awakening to My Purpose Through Breast Cancer.

about the author:

MAIMAH KARMO was born in Monrovia, Liberia, and lived there until fleeing to the United States with her family in 1989. She lived in New Jersey before moving to Virginia, where she currently resides with her daughter. Learn more at www.tigerlilyfoundation.com

Seek Care First

According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 15,500 women will die from ovarian cancer. It ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women, accounting for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. This staggering number increases when you factor in other forms of reproductive cancer. 

I remember going for an annual exam in the early 90's and being told my results were abnormal. After a second exam, it was determined that no cancerous cells were present, but the mere thought of it paralyzed me with fear. 

This short video will introduce you to Marianne's family and her story:

If you can't see the video CLICK HERE.

The 2012 National Race to End Women's Cancer is on November 4th. The race will begin and end at Freedom Plaza, Pennsylvania Avenue and 14th Street in Washington, DC. If you are in the area, please consider participating. 

For race details and ways to sponsor the event, visit The National Race to End Cancer website. 

The Society of Gynecologic Oncology's (SGO) vision is to eradicate gynecologic cancers. Now in its 43rd year, the Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer continues to be the Society's flagship event. My hometown of Austin, TX, welcomes the entire team with open arms to the 2012 meeting on March 24-27.

More innovation and more funding lays the foundation for more positive outcomes.

Special Note: Hugs and love to my dear friend, Chrissy Stanojev, for bringing this cause to our attention and raising awareness. She has played a key role in this year's event by volunteering her time and producing an exceptionally moving public service announcement.

Have you or someone you know been impacted by cancer?

A One Night Stand for Charity

Back in August I told you about my experience auctioneering a live auction for the first time. It was a charitable event hosted by the Interior Design Society Texas Hill Chapter to raise money for a room make-over for SafePlace.

That night, we raised close to $3,000.

The entire project has been made possible by the generous contributions of the IDS members, contractors, and regular people like you and me. Everything has been donated. From labor to materials to time. 

We held the finale event at the end of October to get the funds in order to complete the project.

This one was a silent auction complete with karaoke, costumes, margaritas, and a slew of vendors offering fantabulous door prizes. A local artist painted an original picture right before our eyes - the only item auctioned off live. 

me, a one-night-stand, and Chair of IDS Charitable Committee

 

Both events were mega-successes considering the fact that IDS has only been in existence here locally for not even a year. I'm truly humbled and blessed to be a part of such a giving organization. 

With just under $5,000 and a whole lot of teamwork, the make-over is in progress and we're all eagerly awaiting the reveal. I'll be there front and center...with a wad of tissues, as I'm sure there won't be a dry eye in the house.

With the holidays approaching, there'll be all kinds of causes for you to support. 

Remember, those in need can benefit from your time as well as your money.

*To my Facebook friends who inquired about my dress, I got it at Body Central.

How to Raise $3,000 in a $23 Outfit

You know how people get honorary college degrees and stuff? I haven't gotten one, but I'm kind of like an honorary member of the Interior Design Society Texas Hill Country Chapter. The president appointed me on Thursday night.

I've spoken to this group twice, most recently last month. Somehow, my name came up as the person to auctioneer their charity event. I don't think this skill set is listed anywhere on my Put Me to Work page. File it under other duties as assigned.

No, I didn't do the "fast talk". Despite that, I did manage to create a couple of bidding wars!

The temperatures here in central Texas have been consistently hovering around 100-and-close-to-burning-in-hell so picking the ideal outfit was just as important as figuring out how to fulfill my job duties. I looked at it this way: if I'm a total bomb, I better at least look like a bombshell. Or the equivalent. Whatever that may be.

Choosing accessories can literally determine if I'm going to arrive somewhere 15 minutes early or 10 minutes late. I've learned now that this part of getting dressed slows me down. Partly because of my mild-to-moderate OCD which makes me try on at least three different pairs of earrings and two different bracelet combos.

My neighbor friend Jamie started tinkering and launched Jewelry by Jamille. Everything is handmade. When she had her first trunk show I was flat broke and couldn't buy anything. When she had another one, I was less broke and came home with these beauties:

JewelrybyJamille.com

This was my first time wearing them and they were perfect, very light weight and comfortable.

Definitely a statement piece.

My photogs haven't quite mastered the full-body shot, but I'm sure we'll eventually get there.

Here's the complete outfit minus me. I really wanted you to see the contrasting hem on the dress:

Maxi dress and Steve Madden sandals from Ross

 Black maxi dress, $7.99; Steve Madden sandals, $12.99

Ross Shopping Pro Tip: the price of shoes are written on the bottom, rounded to the nearest dollar.


I bought these when gladiators were all the rage. I don't like the gladiator look that comes all the way up your ankle. Ross is my go-to place for keeping up with trends without going broker.

OUTFIT GRAND TOTAL: $22.71

That's 3Xs cheaper than this dress alone:

Camille maxi at soma.com $75

Here I am with my friend and fellow speaker Evelina Solis. She's a certified life coach, radio personality, and co-hosts a tv show. She was recently a spokesperson for Macy's National Hispanic Heritage Campaign.

I can truly say losing my live-auction auctioneer virginity was a huge success. Every item donated was sold and we raised just under $3,000 (in a few short hours) to go toward the makeover project for SafePlace.

There are so many ways to get involved and make a difference in your community.

Moral of the Story: Spend Less. Give More.

Guess what?! Due to the overwhelming response to this post, I started a personal style blog. But it's not just any personal style blog. Go on..click here to check it out!

The Face of Christmas

On December 21st, KXAN aired a segment asking the community to help support the Christmas Bureau of Austin. At that time, there were 1,800 families still in need of sponsors. Families with kids who may not have presents to open today - something I never experienced as a child and neither have my children. Even in the toughest of times, there was going to be something under the tree and a good hot meal on the table.

Not only was the Bureau in need of gifts and monetary donations, they also needed volunteers to help wrap the gifts. I didn't think twice about donating my time.

The experience I had was far more valuable than writing a check. When the little girl in the picture saw that bike, the look on her and her mother's face was priceless. I asked her mom's permission to take the picture and to give the baby a hug. That's something you can't box and unwrap no matter how hard you try. Shon Washington, the charity's Assistant Director, stopped what he was doing (and believe me, there was alot going on), got his toolbox, and adjusted the bike seat for the little girl. By the time she and and her mom left, the baby couldn't help but cry - tears of joy, of course.

This is just one of the many hearts touched by the city's outpouring of generosity. Thank you to the entire Christmas Bureau of Austin team and all of the families who were served for making Christmas 2010 one to remember.

And now, I want to thank you for giving me the gift of your time. Thank you for the comments, the laughs, and for the encouragement. Merry Christmas.