I’m really liking this idea!
For a little extra inspiration, check out this interview with SHE founder, Elizabeth Scharpf.
Every 28 Days, A Woman…
More Empowering Sites for Women
My classmate Cristina posted links to these great organizations on Facebook last week and I bookmarked them so I could share with you. Check them out:
WomenForWomen.org – Women for Women International provides women survivors of war, civil strife and other conflicts with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency, thereby promoting viable civil societies. We’re changing the world one woman at a time.
Peace X Peace – (pronounced Peace by Peace) multiplies the power of women by the power of leading-edge communications technologies. The Peace by Peace global network is the secure social networking space where women meet to build peace across cultures.
Very cool! Thanks, Cristina!
In the Driver’s Seat, A Girl’s Guide to Her First Car
Author Erika Stalder has announced the release of her fourth book titled “In the Driver’s Seat: A Girl’s Guide to Her First Car
- How to buy a car
- Understanding its basic mechanics
- Finding a good mechanic and maintaining a car.
- History of notable women behind the wheel
You can . What a fantastic stocking stuffer for any girl. Knowledge is power, ladies!
And as a special bonus, Girls Can’t WHAT? is teaming up with Erika to bring you a really sweet giveaway which will include a copy of “In the Driver’s Seat: A Girl’s Guide to Her First Car
Chicks on Bikes by Christina Shook is a Must-Read
“Most often a woman in a motorcycle advertisement is an object in a bikini or clinging to the back of the man riding.”
How true that is.
Those words were taken directly from a new book called “Chicks on Bikes” by writer and photographer Christina Shook who aims to put an end to that stereotype. “Chicks on Bikes” is a beautiful collection of women on motorcycles. The “chicks” range from the hard core to the girl-next-door, the old to the young, the experienced to the newbies… from all walks of life.
I was privileged to get a peek at this wonderful collection and ‘wonderful’ seems like an understatement. Not only are the photos stunning, but the stories woven throughout the pages are refreshing and honest. There are no stereotypical biker chicks here. These are real women who ride because they enjoy the power and freedom biking brings to them.
One story that caught my attention was from Jennifer Bromme: Read more
Girls Can’t Pee Standing Up
Or can they?
GoGirl says “Don’t take life sitting down”. Check out this new product for women (video below). Considering the amount of disgusting public restrooms I’ve encountered lately, this doesn’t look like a bad way to go (no pun intended).
Book Review: Asleep by Wendy Raven McNair
This summer an interesting new novel by Wendy Raven McNair titled Asleep arrived on my doorstep. This is book one in a series of three and is geared for the teen/young adult crowd. Here is a preview:
Adisa Summers doesn’t know her boyfriend, Micah Alexander, can fly. These two African American teens come from loving families. However, things are not always as they appear. Micah’s parents never touch him though they have the normal parent-child physical interaction with his younger brother. And does the birth certificate Adisa finds, listing strangers as her parents and Valenté as her last name, really belong to her?
Micah’s odd emotionless behavior, rigid posture, and vacant eyes are a mystery sending mixed messages to Adisa. When a flash of lightning sends a tree crashing down on her, Adisa is shocked to see Micah actually flying to her rescue!
In an instant, Adisa is in his arms, looking up at the sky over his shoulder as they fly parallel to the ground. She sees the tree descending fast, bearing down on them and Micah suddenly shifts, shielding her completely with his body. As the tree explodes against Micah’s back, Adisa feels him shudder with the impact and the air fills with wood chips and sawdust. Miraculously, they aren’t smashed into the ground. They safely continue flying, the wind rushing around them as they weave past tree trunks.
After this dramatic rescue, Micah finally begins to open up to Adisa about his secret life as a superbeing and she discovers another shocking secret. Micah burns for her–literally as well as figuratively.
Adisa’s journey to unravel these family mysteries requires a strength and maturity she is forced to grow into as her love for Micah is repeatedly challenged. In the end, she is confronted with the ultimate question. Is she truly a super being, asleep to her powers for so many years?
Asleep (a Young Adult novel) is a superhero teen love story, set in modern day Atlanta, filled with thrills, romance, and suspense.
My good friend Leslie offered to review the book for me and lend me her comments. In speaking with Leslie she told me the book was captivating right form the start and she was pulled into the story right away. She stated “As an African American it was relatable and thinking back to my teen days she captured the thoughts of adolescents well.” It was reminiscent of the “Heroes” tv show and “Twilight” series, however Asleep comes across as a little more down to earth with much deeper character development. Humor and suspense abound on every page, keeping the reader interested and constantly wondering what’s going to happen next. A real treat.
If you like mysteries and romance, check out Asleep.
More Beautiful You by Johnny Diaz
Wow – awesome, awesome video!
Proof That Dreams Come True
Honestly, I’m a bit shy about writing this post. I’ve debated about sharing it publicly because I am not looking for attention, but I can’t pass up this opportunity to share my proof that dreams really can come true with a lot of hard work and by never ever giving up.
This is my dream. The image below was scanned from a publication my sophomore class put together in 1988, predicting what we would be doing in the year 2008. Mine reads:
Ever since I posted that and made it public, I’ve had more than my fair share of naysayers. People who thought I was crazy or dreaming too big. I even had a few that told me girls don’t play drums or that music isn’t a real career. When I tell people my degree is in music business I get strange looks. I’ve pretty much seen and heard it all. But I never listened. Read more
My Favorite Feeds
As I mentioned before I left, I pared down my RSS feeds to just the essential. I won’t give the complete list, but here are 10 of my favorites that I will be reading even when I am on vacation. 
7 Revolutionary Ways Women Can Go Green
Yeah, I know. I missed earth day. Forgive me for sending his one out a little late, but I didn’t come up with this list until just a few days ago. As Revolutionaries, we have a responsibility to take care of ourselves and our planet. There are lots of ways to go green, but did you know some are specific to women? Here are seven to get us started…
#1 – Be Messy
Yup – you read that right. Stop cleaning your house. Well, at least stop cleaning it so much. Did you ever wonder why you vacuum so often or do certain chores “on a schedule”? Probably because your mom did it that way and so did her mom, and her mom’s mom and so on. How about waiting to clean until something is really dirty? By that, I mean waiting until the level of “dirty” is slightly uncomfortable for you and then clean. Often we clean things before they are truly dirty, wasting our water, our time and polluting the environment with chemicals and bi-products. (And pass this on to the men who clean. I know this should be a shared activity, but let’s face it – women do most of the cleaning.)
#2 – Be A Diva
Feminine hygiene products are a huge part of landfills, but did you know you can avoid buying pads and tampons every month and use a simple product called a Diva Cup? I learned about this last year and bought one in September. It took me about 2 days to adjust to using it and I have never gone back to using traditional products since. When my girls are old enough, I will be sharing this tip with them. Not only are you saving the environment by using a Diva Cup, but you are saving a LOT of money each month! Read more
