Give a Little Bit

Tomorrow, April 9th, is Arizona Gives Day - a day to give back to our community by encouraging Arizonans to donate to charities, programs, groups, or any nonprofit organization in the state. You may make donations through the Arizona Gives' website or you can chose to donate to any local organization of your choice.  (Note: If you donate through the Arizona Gives' website, only 93.1% of your donation will go to the nonprofit, with the remaining 6.9% going to the expenses for hosting this event. Visit here for more details.) And, hey, if you're reading this and you aren't from Arizona, why not still give to a nonprofit in your community. Or, better yet, maybe give of yourself by volunteering for the day. No matter what you do, the day is about giving back - not because it is the holiday season or some tragedy happened in the world, but simply because it's April 9th, and you want to do your part, even if i'ts just a little bit, to help out people in your community. ...

Lean Out Before Leaning In

Clockwise: German Chancellor Angela Merkel, former Secretary of State
Condolezza Rice; Madonna; Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg:
Malala Yousafza; Venus Williams.

“Lean In” Sheryl Sandberg tells us. “Don’t be afraid to take a seat at the table.” “We must raise both the ceiling and the floor.” These are just a few of the feminist mantras that have made waves over the last year – thanks in part to Ms. Sandberg and her predecessors, who've paved a path of empowerment for women in the workplace and in the world. To many, these phrases may just be sound bites that have found their way onto numerous Facebook posts or Pinterest boards, but for others, they represent the building blocks of a revamped feminist philosophy.

Despite the bravado and progressive angle behind these sentiments, there are implied limitations that have been and continue to be debated. ...

A New Day. A New Blog.

So, I've been struggling for the last six months with what to do with my beloved (beloved by me, at least) Bargain Chic blog. I've been posting sporadically since 2007 and have had fun scouring the web for fashions on a budget and presenting them to my small but loyal blog followers here. But now -- especially after taking a year hiatus from the blog to finish up grad school -- I am trying to figure out how to transition the blog into something more than what it currently encompasses. I still want to write about fashion and style and bargains, but I also want to write about other important topics in my life and in my community and in the world, as well as share things I find inspirational and fun.