We FINALLY made it to the weekend y’all – if you ask me, we all deserve a new outfit for that (it was a loooong week ha!) …
All jokes aside, one of my most favorite things in life has always been giving back. Growing up, I was a part of a few different philanthropy organizations, and I gained a passion for helping others. This has only grown stronger as I’ve transitioned into adulthood, and I thought since it is the season of thanksgiving, I would share about how all of us fashionistas could give back this holiday season and help others who are in need.
My mom, sister and I recently got invited to an exclusive shopping event hosted by Belk and The Junior League of Knoxville. The event was so fun. It included a catered buffet, drinks, grab bags, LOTS of shopping and – of course – a photo booth (I mean, what is any event without a photo booth … good thing I had my selfie stick in my purse 😉 ).
**Excuse the lower-quality iPhone pics, but I wanted to show some photos from the event. 😉
DETAILS: graphic tank | long sleeveless vest | Brian Atwood booties (exact pair sold out – similar here) | black harem pants | similar choker | kate spade ‘mrs’ necklace | earrings | bracelet | nails | lips
During this event, the 3 of us girls definitely got started on our Christmas shopping and genuinely had so much fun together. With the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, it was sooo nice to just have some girl time with two of my favorite women in the world. What made the event even better was that we were not only having a blast, laughing, joking around & scoring some great deals on Christmas gifts … we were doing all of that while also giving back to the community and helping others at the same time. (win-win!!)
The proceeds that the Junior League of Knoxville raised from ticket sales to this event went towards funding mini-grants for local schools in the amount of $50 to $500 on a competitive basis to teachers for innovative classroom projects. How awesome is that, y’all?! I mean, a shopping spree PLUS supporting a great cause? I was so in.
I made this a Friday Fave because I, personally, love when some of my favorite things in life cross paths and because I want to encourage you to give back this holiday season. Sometimes the terms, giving back or donating, can be taken the wrong way; however, I have had so many personal experiences (and I’m sure you have too) where I have volunteered my time or donated funds to help support a great cause that will help better someone else’s life, and I think that it honestly does as much (if not, more) for me as it does for the person, company, organization, etc. that I am helping. It is such a rewarding feeling and, all in all, leaves such a positive impact on so many lives.
Whether it’s an purchasing Angel Tree gift, donating a Thanksgiving dinner to a family in need, supporting organizations at events like the one in this post, volunteering at your local soup kitchen, or whatever the deed may be, I promise that your own holiday spirit will be abundantly multiplied if you choose to help others.
If you are searching for a way to give back and support a special cause, I highly encourage you to check THIS ONE out! The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is honoring a local organization in my hometown – the Knoxville Rising Stars – to help raise money for CF research in order to find a cure.
Cystic fibrosis is a devastating genetic disease that affects the lungs & the digestive system. More than ten million Americans are symptomless carriers of the defective CF gene. Advances continue to be made in finding a cure, but your help is needed now — more than ever — to help keep up the momentum of this life-saving research. Sixty years ago, children with CF usually did not live long enough to attend elementary school. Today, because of Foundation-supported research and care, the median survival age of people with CF is about 40. This is remarkable progress, but not good enough. We continue to lose precious lives to CF every day. To learn more about CF and the CF Foundation, visit www.cff.org.
If we all looked around, I’m sure we would find someone that we know who has, in some way, been tragically affected by this disease. You may think that a $5 donation means nothing in the big scheme of things, but every penny truly makes a difference.
Together, we can make a huge impact in the lives of others. It simply starts with you and me.
Happy Friday, babes & have a FABULOUS weekend!
xo,
Peyton
**Thank you to Knoxville Rising Star, Brittany Williams, for partnering on this post.