Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In some way most of us have been impacted by cancer whether it was directly or a family or friend becoming an ill from the disease. My aunt passed way July 2007 from Breast Cancer. She was diagnosed with the disease 10 years ago before she passed away. She went through chemo and radiation and the usual medication that they prescribe to cancer survivors. She was in remission until the summer of 2007 when she became sick again. This time the cancer was attacking her bones. It was extremely hard to see her unable to move or talk or eat. She ran a New York Marathon for god sakes and she loved to eat. The one thing I will always remember from her last days was that she wanted coffee. I never for a minute doubted that she wouldn't win this battle. I knew she fought till the very end. She is still one of the strongest woman that I never known. She is truly a hero in my eyes. To all the cancer survivors out there they are all heroes.

As woman we need to stand together and kick cancer's ass. We need to stay strong for each other and we need to help find a cure for this terrible disease. Donate to some incredible foundations or support local runs/walks against cancer.

Here are some foundations:

STAND UP TO CANCER: You may have seen some celebrities like Vanessa Hudges, Hillary Duff, and Beyonce sporting the Stand Up to Cancer t-shirt. This foundation "is a new initiative create to accelerate groundbreaking cancer research that will get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives. SU2C's goal is to bring together the best and the brightest in the cancer community, encouraging collaboration instead of competition. By galvanizing the entertainment industry, SU2c creates awareness and builds broad public support for this effort. This is where the end of cancer begins." (polyvore.com....enter their contest called Show Her Some Love).

Susan G. Komen for the Cure: You might have seen race/walks called Race for the Cure or 3 Day Walk. Take part in these activities if they are happening in your area. The money raised for these walks/races go towards Breast Cancer research. "That promise is now Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the global leader of the breast cancer movement, having invested nearly $1.5 billion since inception in 1982. As the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists, we’re working together to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure®, and generous contributions from our partners, sponsors and fellow supporters, we have become the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world." (Susan G. Komen for the Cure) You can also dontate to the foundation.

Fashion Targets Breast Cancer: Council of Fashion Designers of America/CFDA Foundation has created a foundation to raise awareness and funds against breast cancer internationally and in the US. "The Fashion Targets Breast Cancer name and symbol were created by Ralph Lauren and subsequently entrusted to the CFDA Foundation. FTBC was first presented in the U.S. in the spring of 1994 during New York Fashion Week, and was formally launched in September 1994 at a special White House reception hosted by then-First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. During this initial campaign, 400,000 FTBC shirts were sold, raising $2 million to benefit the Nina Hyde Center for Breast Health at the Lombardi Cancer Center at Georgetown University Medical Center. This center was chosen as beneficiary at Ralph Lauren’s request, in memory of his friend Nina Hyde, the former fashion editor of The Washington Post, who died of breast cancer in 1990......With the proceeds from Fashion Targets Breast Cancer campaigns worldwide, the CFDA Foundation provides meaningful help to all women concerned about and diagnosed with breast cancer by providing access to reliable health information and quality health care, and by supporting the distribution of innovative information, education and outreach that impacts the broadest number of women possible." (Fashion Targets Breast Cancer).

Also products like Gillette Venus, Purina Cat Chow, AVON, Philosophy Shower for the Cure, and even designers like Vera Wang (Simply Vera by Vera Wang) are making special items that some of the profit goes towards breast cancer research. Yahoo! has a great article called "20 Breast Cancer Products that Really do Good." Check out the products they have listed and how much of the proceeds go to the fight against breast cancer.

Polyvore is also doing a contest called Show Her Some Love for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. You can win a $100 gift card to Ylang23.com. Ylang23 is a jewlery stored created by Joanne Teichman who is a breast cancer survivor. In addition to $100 gift card "Joanne is donating $10,000 to Stand Up To Cancer on behalf of the entire Polyvore community, so enter the contest and support this cause!"

Below is the set that I had created for the contest and for Breast Cancer Awareness month:

Show Her Some Love by poetofsorts featuring links of london bracelets

Vivienne Westwood Red Label Wool-blend fitted blazer: $965 - net-a-porter.com; Floral Print Silk Top: $185 - theoutnet.com; MiH Jeans Breathless low-rise skinny jeans: $235 - net-a-porter.com; Steve Madden Caryssa: $95 - heels.com; Marc Jacobs Pink Leather: $745 - farfetch.com; Large Emerald Cut Pink Opal Ring in Rose Gold: $4,595 - ylang23.com; Rhodonite Teardrop Earrings: $420 - ylang23.com; Links of London Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Chord Bracelet: $75 - bloomingdales.com; Hot Pink Druzy with Gold Shell and Pearl Cluster: $430 - ylang23.com; Gold Plated Dog Tag on Pink Cord: $95 - ylang23.com;