LizzLoves See Jane Drill April 21, 2016

A few weeks ago, my brother asked for my help with a project he was working on: building a chicken coop. Yup, you read that right, a chicken coop. Why is my brother getting chickens in the suburbs? That’s a story for another day. My first response was, “Chickens??” And my second one was “Um, I’m not sure how I can help because I’ve never built anything from scratch…” But my brother tends to make most things fun, so I said, “Sure, what the heck?” I’m pretty good at putting things together with (or without) directions, but this would be a whole new adventure.

As we were measuring, sawing, and nailing, I suddenly realized I had some relevant small talk to make! I chatted with my brother about some cool facts I learned about all the “hidden” features on a tape measure that I discovered on a very cool YouTube channel called “See Jane Drill,” a DIY home improvement video series hosted by Leah Bolden, a journeyman and certified building trades instructor with more than 20 years experience. Leah’s videos include repairs and improvements, with guidance that leaves people thinking, “Hmm ok, I could do that!” She’s a badass, but super nice and down-to-earth.

For now, I will continue to call the super if I need things fixed around my place, but once I own my own home…or build another animal enclosure, I will definitely be hitting Leah up for some tips!  Her toolbelt status gives a whole new meaning to girl power 🙂

Are you a handy woman? What’s the last thing you built? 

LizzLoves Jen Welter August 3, 2015

One of my favorite memories from college was the year that my girls and I hosted a little Superbowl party in our dorm’s suite. That year, I became close to Kelly, who is now a lifelong sister. We had met freshman year, but it wasn’t until we lived together sophomore year that I really got to know her. I was amused and surprised when I discovered that she was a big football fan. While I consider myself an athlete, I don’t come from a family of sports fans, so being raised with football culture was complete foreign to me. So, it was an awesome sight to see when little 5’3 Kelly plopped herself on the couch between two 6’0 dudes to hold court and talk informed smack about the game on the screen. Classic!

So Kelly popped into my head when I heard the news that Jen Welter was recently hired by the Arizona Cardinals as the first female coach (intern) in NFL history. Check out Welter’s unique set of qualifications for this role:

• She played rugby in college
• She was on the Dallas Diamonds team in the Women’s Football Alliance (as a linebacker) for more than a decade
• Last year, she was recruited to play running back for the minor league (men’s) indoor team, Texas Revolution
• She became part of the coaching staff (assistant coach) of the Texas Revolution

Bonus: she’s looking forward to being a role model for little girls who as passionate about sports as she is. The New York Times quoted her:

“I want little girls to grow up knowing that when they put their mind to something, when they work hard, that they can do anything regardless [of the expectations of others]”

Good luck, Jen, you’re going to kick some butt! I look forward to following your career. 

LizzLoves Carol Rossetti July 13, 2015

Say what you will about the evils, annoyances and oddities of social media, but more often than not, I find some fabulous and inspiring women by being plugged in to the matrix. About a year ago, I stumbled upon some thought-provoking drawings created by Carol Rossetti, Brazilian illustrator and graphic designer. Now I look forward to when her work pops up in my Facebook feed every week. Honestly, there hasn’t been one drawing that I haven’t fallen in love with for a variety of reasons.

All photos courtesy of carolrossetti.com.br

You see, Rossetti’s work is all about empowering women of all shapes, sizes, colors, religions, orientations, lifestyles, and ways of thinking. On a first glance, her vibrant artwork is almost whimsical, but when you look again, and read the captions and stories she adds to each picture, you will see she is doing a lot more than just capturing a diverse collection of women. Rossetti’s focus is on women’s freedom to truly be themselves and not be defined by others. She says on her website:

“I feel very disturbed by the world’s attempts to control women’s bodies, behaviors and identities; so I’ve started a series of illustrations in a friendly tone hoping to reach people about how absurd this really is.”

Not only is Rossetti helping to show the beauty and strength of all women with her drawings and words, but with some help, she has had her stories translated into several languages, like English, Spanish, Arabic and more. If you scroll through her work and find that many of them resonate with your experience or those of your sisters, that’s because the artist makes sure careful research goes into each woman’s story.

I already know I need one of her prints framed in my home, but it’s so hard to choose JUST ONE! But there are worse problems to have, right? 🙂 So, yeah…if you’re trying to think of a cool gift to get Lizz, you know where to go! (Start shopping here!)

Check out these examples of her work below — a woman who rocks her afro with confidence, a lesbian who won’t be judged by her family, a little girl who happily kicks some butt in karate instead of ballet, a woman who flaunts her grey hair, a Muslim woman who’s proud of her hijab, and a full-figured woman who embraces her size by showing it off in a bikini. To take a look at more of her awesome drawings here.

Rossetti understands the impact of her work, to the extent of even offering black and white versions of her works for free when they will be used in public spaces to educate and highlight women’s stories.

Obrigada, Carol, for your beautiful drawings,

but even more for your generous celebration of diversity! 

LizzLoves Samar Minallah Khan July 6, 2015

Photo courtesy of samarminallahkhan.com

More and more these days, I’ve been hearing both women and men say that feminism is not a women-only movement. It’s been interesting to see how men have added their voices and influence to the movement, and how women have engaged them and leveraged their involvement to fuel progress.

One such woman is filmmaker Samar Minallah Khan who has focused her work on bringing an old Pakistani practice to the spotlight — swara, where a daughter is given away as payment for a crime. After several years of studying the practice and its victims, Khan, who is an anthropologist and documentarian, produced a documentary in 2003 called Swara—A Bridge Over Troubled Water.

Her work initially addressed all sides of the practice, incorporating all voices just to give the full picture to educate viewers. However, what struck her most were the men who had the courage to refuse to give their daughters away. She told NPR:

“Men, too, face hurdles for speaking up and for challenging norms,” she says. “Standing up in the face of society and country expectations, that takes a lot of courage.”

And their bravery paid off. In 2004, Pakistan outlawed swara, making it illegal to give away daughters to compensate for crimes.

Khan was recently honored as one of five women honored with a Global Leadership Award by Vital Voices, a group founded by Hillary Clinton after the World Conference of Women in Beijing in 1995.

Thank you for your activism, Samar. I look forward to following your work that challenges norms and gives voice to untold stories!

LizzLoves Women Coaching in the NBA August 8, 2014

Becky Hammon, Photo courtesy of WNBA

Did your jaw drop yesterday when you heard the news? Did you think this day would ever come? I have to be honest…I didn’t! As cool as I knew it would be for a woman to be a coach for an NBA team, I just couldn’t see it truly happening. But, yes folks, this week it was announced that Becky Hammon was hired as the first full-time female hire for an NBA coaching staff — as assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs. In her own basketball career, Becky has been a standout — with nearly 16 seasons under her belt in the WNBA, and seven times as an All-Star. So the woman knows her stuff…and then some!

We can do air high-fives and hat tips to Becky, we should definitely also give shout-outs to a few women who paved the path for her to step into this prestigious role:

• Most recently, Natalie Nakase, who coached the L.A. Clippers summer league this year, and cut her teeth 3 years ago as head coach of the Saitama Broncos in Japan, as the first female head coach in Japanese men’s professional basketball.
• Nancy Lieberman, who coached the Dallas Mavericks’ D-League team in 2009
• Lisa Boyer, a volunteer assistant on Cleveland Cavaliers’ staff in 2001-02.

Natalie Nakase, Photo courtesy of NPR.org

But Becky Hammon said it best:

“There’s women that have trail-blazed much bigger paths and really trail-blazed the path for things like this to happen. There’s a lot more important things going on, in the bigger things, CEOs of companies. Women are really in every area. They’re in the surgery rooms. They’re doctors. They’re lawyers. They’re COOs. So even me sitting here today to be able to have the playing experience that I had as a professional basketball player, women went before me to pave that trail. So I’m really just reaping benefits of all their hard work and labor.”

Much respect to Becky for acknowledging her sisters who have made it possible for her, and other women in the future, to use their skills, experience and passion for the game to lead other talented athletes to success.

LizzLoves Rehab Addict Nicole Curtis February 24, 2014

This past weekend, my to-do list had two home improvement projects that made me a little nervous: treat newly uncovered hardwood floors and fix a broken toilet.

 

Now, I’ve been doing or overseeing several projects over the past 9 months, but sometimes the beginning of a new one still makes a whisper of doubt pop into my head. But this time I smiled and got over myself when I remembered one of my new heroines: Nicole Curtis of HGTV’s “Rehab Addict.” 

 

Nicole is a Minneapolis-based flipper — she buys old homes, restores them to their original splendor and then sells them. But don’t get it twisted, she doesn’t just oversee and call the shots — she’s a hands-on part of executing everything. Self-taught in her craft, Nicole is always ready with her goggles, tools and work boots, diving headfirst into all the projects. And she’s damn good at it. You might not guess it by her size, but she’s not shy about wielding any power tool or scared to try a new method to ensure the integrity of a project.

 

I admire Nicole’s style and the quality of her work, but most of all, I love that she’s savvy and smart with her approach — from the extensive historical research that she puts into all her homes, to the efforts she makes to keep the work budget-friendly and authentic. She goes to great lengths to preserve the finishes that set  historical homes apart. She makes sure that she and her crew use all available original materials that are found in the house, but when that resource is exhausted, she makes regular trips to salvage yards and antique stores to find materials that will match the era of the home. Vintage, reclaimed, repurposed…Nicole gets creative, but lives up to her self-proclaimed title of preservationist.

 

She’s admitted in the past that she gets very emotionally attached to her projects, but all I see is some serious passion at work. Even if your home decor/design taste is more modern, you won’t be able to ignore her spitfire energy and can-do attitude.

 

So, the next time I get nervous about a home improvement project, I’m going to just picture Nicole fearlessly taking a sledgehammer to a wall. If she can do that, then I can, too…or at least I can try! 🙂

PS: The hardwood floors look great! 

LizzLoves Nadia G’s Bitchin’ Kitchen August 28, 2013

As a big Food Network fan, I’ve been dreaming about the day when I would have access to its sister station, Cooking Channel. Now that I finally have it at my fingertips, I’ve been meaning to catch a certain show all summer: “Nadia G’s Bitchin’ Kitchen.” The commercials alone made me think, “Wow, I have to see what this sassy lady is about!” Well, she didn’t disappoint!

Nadia G. (aka Nadia Giosia) is a fiery chef from Montreal with Italian roots. I think the best way to describe her is to imagine if you mixed up DNA from Kat Von D, Alex Guarnaschelli, and Joan Jett, with a hefty dose of girl power…you would have this kitchen mistress! Nadia G. combines great cooking, comedy and style into her presentation. Don’t sleep on her stiletto-slingin’ get up—she can throw down in the kitchen! I couldn’t rock some of the patent-leather platforms she does, much less make a roux while I’m in them! Hats off to her daring outfits that don’t cramp her serious culinary chops.

Nadia’s running commentary is full of giggle-inducing one-liners, but she takes it up a notch with her cast of colorful supporting characters: Panos the Fishmonger, Hans the “scantily-clad” Food Correspondent, and Yeres the Spice Agent. If you’re looking for some playful attitude, a rockin’ fun time, and some great recipes, Nadia G. is definitely your girl!

Readers: Do you have any favorite female chefs?

LizzLoves Present and Unaccounted For: Black Women in Medicine July 22, 2011

Lately, I’ve become aware of so many incredible documentaries being made, but when my friend sent me a link for “Present and Unaccounted For: Black Women in Medicine,” I knew I had to bring it to LizzLoves readers.

 

“Present and Unaccounted For: Black Women in Medicine” not only touches on the historical journeys of some of the first black female doctors to break ground in our country, but also chronicles the present-day success stories of black women in medicine today.

 

The film is the brainchild seasoned director Crystal Emery, who has been nurtured by notable filmmakers such as Bill Duke and Lloyd Richards. She also has several other films under her belt that uplift and educate communities. Crystal was inspired to make “Present and Unaccounted For…” after she met Doris Wethers, one of the first black women to attend Yale Medical School, and Beatrix Hamburg, the first woman to graduate from Yale Medical School.

 

Unfortunately, as Crystal and her nonprofit production company, URU The Right To Be, started shooting footage, a significant backer pulled out of the project, bringing production to a halt.

 

But, if you’re like me, you don’t want this reel to end up on a dusty shelf somewhere. Crystal has launched a Kickstarter campaign where people can make donations, large or small, to help this project reach completion.

 

So, be part of showing our daughters, nieces, sisters and all young ladies who aspire to careers in medicine, that not only can they accomplish what they set their minds to, but that there is a sisterhood that has laid the ground for them!

 

Click here to watch a piece of some of the inspiring footage and to find out how you can help this empowering story be told!

LizzLoves Birchbox July 18, 2011

Among some of the many simple pleasures that make me smile are these two: 1) fun mail that isn’t a bill and 2) trying new beauty products for my face, hair and body. While the first one isn’t too hard to come by, the second one can become a little expensive. For example, I have long, curly hair and I’m always looking for the best treatments for my tresses, but “trying” a $15, 8 oz. bottle of a new mysterious product can get costly…especially when it doesn’t work!

 

So, when I read that two super savvy business women, Haley Barna and Katia Beaucham came up with an idea to solve my dilemma, needless to say, I was ecstatic. Last year, these twenty-something Harvard Business School grads launched Birchbox, an innovative mail-order service that sends customers samples of  various beauty products, from makeup to hand lotion. Through a monthly $10 subscription, customers get 4-5 samples from companies like Kiehl’s, Oribe, benefit and NARS, just to name a few. And when you discover a product you love, you can purchase it through Birchbox while also earning points toward future buys.

 

Congrats to Hayley and Katia, who were recently honored in Inc. Magazine’s “30 Under 30,” as a company to watch. Read their profile here.

 

I’m looking forward to trying out this service ASAP! My curly hair and eye-shadow-loving lids will thank me…and so will my wallet! 🙂

 

Which products are you dying to try that you wish came in samples? Tell me more in the comments section below! 

LizzLoves Bebo Organics June 27, 2011

The Ulloa Sisters

 

These days, it’s not only tree-hugging, compost-having parents that care about incorporating organic food into their children’s diets.  The population of parents who are reading labels and being more careful about what they put in little tummies is growing every day.

 

And now, thanks to a trio of Latina business women (who also happen to be sisters and super moms), organic baby food has not only become more accessible, but also even yummier!

 

Bébo Organics, the brainchild of the Ulloa sisters, is baby food that uses local, organic ingredients without preservatives or thickeners. They only use all natural meats, fruits and vegetables. Even the packaging is green: it’s reusable, recyclable, phthalate-free and BPA-free. Take a look at some of their comidas deliciosas here.

 

If you want to learn more about why organic foods might be a good choice for your niños, check out their super-thorough FAQ page.

 

Felicidades a las hermanas Ulloa…and gracias for caring about the health of babies everywhere!

What are some of your favorite ways to get vitamins & nutrients into your little ones? Share your tips in the comment section below!