I took this off our Austin ZTA Alumni Site. It is definitely worth the time to read and watch the videos on her blog. Please check it out.  It was very difficult watching and reading all the back log entries, but so worth it. Her uplifting spirit and determination is incredible.

(i totally snagged this off her facebook page)

"I would like to share some news with you regarding a fellow ZTA sister. I would like to ask you to pray for Sarah Chidgey. She is from San Antonio (Alamo Heights) and was a ZTA at UT in Austin and now lives in Houston. She recently found out that she has stage 4 lung cancer and a new PET scan showed that the cancer is in her bones too, both hips and pelvis. She has started a very aggressive chemo treatment. I believe in the power of prayer and I’m asking you all to pray for Sarah to heal, to pray for Eric (her husband) and his continued strength to be by her side and for all of her family and friends.

You can follow Sarah’s journey by reading her blog (http://sarahchidgey.blogspot.com/). It displays what an amazing, never-ending faith she has in God and it is truly inspirational.

She can use the power of prayer from as many people as possible. She is one of the most amazing, remarkable, loving people I have ever met, and I wanted to pass her story on to our alum chapter so we can pull in as many prayers and encouragement wishes possible for this young lady battling such a difficult disease."

ZLAM.

my breast cancer PSA.

Most of you know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This is something that I am very passionate about... not only because I am a woman, but because I know, have known, and will know more women (and men) with breast cancer than i'd like to admit. It all began with Zeta Tau Alpha (my sorority) who's philanthropy is breast cancer awareness. ZTA opened my eyes to this disease and gave me the information and passion i needed to advocate breast health and breast cancer awareness. 

Here are some facts about breast cancer courtesy of BreastCancer.org:

• About 1 in 8 women in the United States (between 12 and 13%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.
• In 2010, an estimated 207,090 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 54,010 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer.
• About 1,970 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in men in 2010. Less than 1% of all new breast cancer cases occur in men.
• From 1999 to 2006, breast cancer incidence rates in the U.S. decreased by about 2% per year. One theory is that this decrease was partially due to the reduced use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) by women after the results of a large study called the Women’s Health Initiative were published in 2002. These results suggested a connection between HRT and increased breast cancer risk.
• About 39,840 women in the U.S. are expected to die in 2010 from breast cancer, though death rates have been decreasing since 1991. These decreases are thought to be the result of treatment advances, earlier detection through screening, and increased awareness.
• For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer.
• Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among U.S. women. More than 1 in 4 cancers in women (about 28%) are breast cancer.
• Compared to African American women, white women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer, but less likely to die of it. One possible reason is that African American women tend to have more aggressive tumors, although why this is the case is not known. Women of other ethnic backgrounds — Asian, Hispanic, and Native American — have a lower risk of developing and dying from breast cancer than white women and African American women.
• In 2010, there are more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.
• A woman’s risk of breast cancer approximately doubles if she has a first-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. About 20-30% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history of breast cancer.
• About 5-10% of breast cancers can be linked to gene mutations (abnormal changes) inherited from one’s mother or father. Mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are the most common. Women with these mutations have up to an 80% risk of developing breast cancer during their lifetime, and they are more likely to be diagnosed at a younger age (before menopause). An increased ovarian cancer risk is also associated with these genetic mutations. In men, about 1 in 10 breast cancers are believed to be due to BRCA2 mutations and even fewer cases to BRCA1 mutations.
• About 70-80% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer. These occur due to genetic abnormalities that happen as a result of the aging process and life in general, rather than inherited mutations.
• The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are gender (being a woman) and age (growing older).

Many companies have partnered with Komen for the Cure, The American Cancer Society, and numerous other fabulous non-profits to raise awareness and raise funds for research and testing.  You WILL know someone in your lifetime that will be effected by this horrible disease. Do your part. Donate. Purchase. Race. Attend. Care.

Here is a list of companies that you should be familiar with that all have items, events, and promotions raising money and awareness for breast cancer research. Click each photo to take you to their website! Spread the word. Spread the love. Find a cure.

Komen for The Cure.

David Yurman.

Yoplait.

Ralph Lauren.

Lilly Pulitzer.

Betsey Johnson.

Origins.

Kendra Scott.

Nordstrom.

Ford.

Vera Bradley.

OPI Nail Polish.

Ann Taylor LOFT.

Bloomingdales.

New Balance.

American Airlines.

Dell.

Bank Of America.

The NFL.

KitchenAid.

Oscar de la Renta + Interiors= LOVE.

most interior designers can spend hours in fabric showrooms. ooh-ing and aah-ing over the most exquisite fabrics they dream of using in fabulous projects. every once in a while i go peruse Stockton Hicks & Laffey (austins multi-line fabric showroom) what did i see? Oscar de la Renta has debuted a home fabric collection with Lee Jofa. OMG. Yes.

and let me just tell you, they are fabulous. 

"The fabrics collection includes 25 designs in silk, linen, velvet and cotton, ranging from delicate floral embroidery and ethnic-inspired prints on linen to solid silks and velvets in bright, saturated hues. The fabrics exhibit the fine tailoring and incredible detail that is the Oscar de la Renta signature.

Oscar de la Renta said, "Fabrics have always played an extraordinarily important part in my collections. I am very excited about this latest extension of Oscar de la Renta Home with Lee Jofa, a company that shares my commitment to craftsmanship and quality."

via www.leejofa.com/odlr

(all photos via www.leejofa.com)

they are even auctioning off custom skirts made of some of the fabrics for charity.. i'd totally wear one! who wants to purchase one for me??

walk, run, do whatever you have to do to get to a showroom and check these incredibly beautiful fabrics out!

a wee bit of me wednesday!

{one} grilled or fried?it depends. some food is just meant to be fried!
{two} if you could change one thing about where you live, without worrying about money, what would you change?i'd magically move it closer to downtown, add a 2nd garage, and a full 3rd bedroom.
{three} what is your favorite time of day?dusk. the colors are stunning.
{four} what’s your favorite cereal?lately this kashi cereal my mom got me hooked on.
{five} do you open your mouth when you put mascara on?haha. yes!!
{six} if you could make any fictional character come to life, which would it be?like a cartoon? angelica from rugrats. we would either be best friends or mortal enemies.
{seven} what are your favorite pizza toppings?cheese, sausage, mushooms, black olives... or the works pizza from poppa rollos in waco. delish.
{eight} are you a heavy or a light sleeper?medium. i used to be light, but living with an extremely loud snorer im getting to be a heavier sleeper.
{nine} what is your favorite board game?battleship!
{ten} what star/celebrity do most people say you look like?hilary duff and carrie underwood.

so. um. yeah.

apparently this is proof that whatever you put online people will see, steal, "promote", what have you.

a little unknown fact about myself is that periodically i google myself. you know, to make sure that someone hasn't used my identity to do something *ahem* naughty. usually its nothing... something Baylor, or ZTA or ASID related. and photos? usually pulled from facebook profile pics, nothing major. 

tonight however in the photo section i noticed some of my design work from school.. so i clicked on it and it took me to www.in.com 

apparently in the 'Bachelor Pad Furniture Images' section (www.in.com pulls info from google.. check it out! its kind of cool!) and featured 5 of my designs! crazy!

find it live HERE

find it live HERE

find it live HERE

find it live HERE

find it live HERE

Find it live HERE

they all link up to my website Angelica Brem Designs which is cool, but thanks for the heads up?