Photo of the Week: Precious Stars Pose for Annie

Famous photographer, Annie Leibovitz, shoots  Oscar-nominated Precious stars Mo’nique, Gabourey Sidibe and director Lee Daniels for Vanity Fair.

Jason Wu Designs Black Doll for Madame Alexander

Jason Wu, young Fashion Designer to celebrities like Michelle Obama and Kerry Washington has added “doll designer” to his resume with his new line of Cissy dolls for Madame Alexander which includes this black doll in an off-white corset dress and pink strapies. You can see Jason’s full line for Madame Alexander here. What do you think?

Zoe Saldana’s Harlem Renaissance Photo Shoot

Check out Zoe Saldana’s Harlem Renaissance inspired Vanity Fair photo shoot from August 2009.

Spotlight On: Marian Wright Edelman

Service is the rent we pay to be living. It is the very purpose of life and not something you do in your spare time.  – Marian Wright Edelman

Marian Wright Edelman is the epitome of what it means to be a service minded person. Her efforts have positively impacted children and families all across the nation and will continue to do so well into the future.

Marian, daughter to Arthur Jerome Wright and Maggie Leola Brown, was the youngest of five children born in Bennettsville, South Carolina. It can be said that Marian’s interest in public service grew out of the encouragement and example set by her parents, particularly her father who was a Baptist minister. His death, when Marian was only 14 years old, would solidify her focus on education and service as his last words to her were “don’t let anything get in the way of your education”. Marian clearly took those words to heart as she graduated from Marlboro Training High School and went on to receive her Bachelor of Arts from Spelman College. During her time as an undergrad she was awarded the Merrill scholarship and studied in the Soviet Union as a Lisle fellow. It wasn’t long before her passion for service and activism were ignited during the historic Civil Rights Movement. In fact, being arrested for her activism propelled her to pursue a law degree from Yale Law School in 1963.

As the first black person to be admitted to the Mississippi Bar, she began practicing law through the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund offices in Mississippi. She spent her time working on racial justice issues and representing activists from the Mississippi Freedom Summer of 1964. Four years later she relocated to Washington D.C. and it was during this time that she helped organize the Poor People’s Campaign for Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Not long after she founded the Washington Research Project, a public interest law firm and began to deepen her interest in issues related to childhood development and poverty stricken children. Her interest in being a voice for children continued to grow and in 1973 she founded the Children’s Defense Fund.

The Children’s Defense Fund has been leading the charge for identifying and championing the needs of poor and disadvantaged children all across the nation. They are currently focusing on the following:

•  The Health Coverage for All Children Campaign to secure comprehensive health and mental health coverage for every child and pregnant woman;
• The Cradle to Prison Pipeline^® Campaign to stop the funneling of tens of thousands of youth down life paths that often lead to prison;
• Developing youth leaders who will become the next generation of child advocates; and
• Ending child poverty and stabilizing families.

The accolades that Marian has received are numerous. She’s been awarded over a hundred honorary degrees and has been the recipient of several awards including the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Prize, the Heinz Award, and a MacArthur Foundation Prize Fellowship. In 2000, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award, and the Robert F. Kennedy Lifetime Achievement Award for her many insightful writings.

 One article simply cannot capture all of Marian’s profound achievements. As a wife and mother of three sons she continues to work tirelessly on behalf of all children. To help Marian and the Children’s Defense Fund continue to realize their vision for helping our children, consider donating to the organization by clicking here.

Smell Your Way to Health and Happiness

What if you could reduce your stress, sleep better at night, increase your mental alertness and balance your energy and moods all at the same time? According to Ayurvedic doctors and Aromatherapists, you can…just by inhaling the pure fragrance of essential oils. The impact of aroma on the brain’s limbic system has been studied for ages. Scientific research and studies continue to grow and in several cases have shown significant results linking the aroma of essential oils to positive impacts on the mind and body.

Here are a few easy ways to introduce the benefits of aromatherapy into your daily life:

1)      Chakra Spray – Loving these seven chakra sprays by Aveda. They are infused with pure essential oils blended specially to balance the energy centers associated with each of the seven chakras. Mist them on and around yourself any time of the day (I particularly like to do this before going to bed—helps relax me after a long day)

2)      Bath Time – Try adding a few drops of lavender essential oil to your bath water for a relaxing experience that sure to help you sleep better and de-stress.

3)      Calm Your Road Rage – If you commute to and from work try these vent sticks by Car-ma. Although they are not pure essential oils they do have great relaxing and energizing fragrances to turn your car into your own private moment of Zen. I particularly like the lavender scent.

4)      Love Potion #9 – It’s quite possible that love potion number nine contained the essential oil ylang-ylang as it has been shown to appeal to men due to its deep scent. Note to self ladies!

5)      In the Office – Keep a few aromatherapy air fresheners made with pure essential oils at your desk and spray throughout the day when you need a boost or a moment of relaxation after a tough meeting.

For more information about essential oils and their proper use/benefits, check out this site

Congratulations to Miss America, Caressa Cameron

Photo courtesy of TheRoot.com

Congratulations to Miss Virginia, 22 year-0ld Caressa Cameron, who was crowned Miss America 2010! Read more about Caressa Cameron here.

The Vyne Must Do List: Black History Month

Photo Courtesy of the Atlanta History Center

It’s Black History Month, the month that we celebrate and remember people from the African Diaspora who have made the greatest impact on our country. Below we share some “must do” events this month in a city near you:

Must Watch: 40th NAACP Image Awards, Feb 26th

Must Do in Atlanta:
Atlanta History Center exhibit, “Let Your Motto Be Resistance: African American Portraits” (through April 25th)

Fine Art + Fashion event for National Black Arts Festival, Thursday, February 25

Must Do in Chicago:
Freedom’s Sisters exhibit at DuSable Museum (through April 4th)

Must Do in Dallas:
Haute Africa Fashion Week, February 24th – 28th

Jazz Saxaphonist Tom Braxton at the Dallas Museum of Art, February 18th

Must Do in DC:
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site: Celebrating Frederick Douglass’ 192 birthday, February 14, 12:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m.

Must Do in LA:
Celebrating Black History Month Event at the California African American Museum, February 7th

Must Do in New York:
Harlem Opera Theater Concert, February 26th
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis – Basie and the Blues, Feb. 11 – 13

Must Do in Philadelphia:
Finding the Children of Slaves: A Generation’s Untold Story
Monday, February 22 at the National Constitution Center

Day to Night Tops

We’ve all been there. We’ve have a big meeting at work, requiring us to wear a conservative suit, and have drinks or dinner with friends afterward. And we ask ourselves, “do I bring a change of clothes?,” “do I go home to change?” Don’t fret! Wear one of these tops under your blazer and after work, take the blazer off and put on some fun jewelry. Voila! You have changed the tone of your outfit in an instant.

1. NY & Company Printed Ruffle Blouse
2. Pink Tartan Polka Dotted Silk Blouse
3. Diane von Furstenberg ‘Lindella’ Ruffled Silk Top
4.Royal Underground Butterfly-print Top
5. MICHAEL Michael Kors Sleeveless Dot Print Top

Spotlight On: Connie Lindsey

Photo courtesy of SistasinBusiness.com

“Find where your passion, your gifts, and your talent connect. Maybe it’s something that was born out of your youth or a business issue, but once you connect those things together…you can have such a large impact.”Connie Lindsey

Forty years ago, not even Connie Lindsey could have imagined that she would one day lead the organization she had just joined. A successful businesswoman and the highest ranking volunteer of the Girl Scouts of America, Connie has proven what can happen when you’re disciplined, confident, and use your gifts to make a difference.

Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Connie came from humble beginnings. Though she grew up in an inner city housing project, she was taught strong values from her family, church members, and community. It was through her church that she became involved with the Girl Scouts. Though her family could not afford the uniform required from the troop organized by her church, neither the church nor the troop leader would let that become an inhibitor to her joining the organization. So at 11 years old, Connie became a Girl Scout. She remembers, “our troop leader, instilled confidence in me, saying, “Young lady, YOU MATTER. And don’t let anybody tell you that you don’t.” It was this strong foundation that never left her, and she never left the Girl Scouts either.

After high school, Connie attended the University of Wisconsin where she obtained a B.A. in finance. She started her career in the telecommunications industry with Wisconsin Bell. From there she went to Ameritech where she worked in several finance and accounting roles including working as an Assistant Treasurer for the Ameritech Foundation. In 1993 she joined The Northern Trust Company of Chicago. Over the past nearly 17 years with Northern Trust, Connie has moved up the ranks, making a tremendous impact along the way. She became the first African American female to reach the Executive Vice President level in 2006 and, in 2009, became the EVP of Corporate Sustainability. In this newly created role she is responsible for creating and executing the company’s global Social Responsibility efforts.

While Connie was climbing the corporate ladder, she did not stop serving her community. She has volunteered with and served on boards of several non-profit organizations. In 2008 she was elected President of the Board of Directors for the Girl Scouts of America, where she is responsible for strategic guidance on policy direction, management and fundraising for this 98-year-old organization with over 3 million members.
With a resume like hers, it’s not surprising that she has received countless honors. Her awards and accolades include Chicago United’s Business Leaders of Color Award, the Alpha Kappa Alpha Women Changing the World Award, Northern Trust’s Chairman’s Diversity Award, the YWCA Leaders of Color Award, Chicago Defender Women of Excellence Award, and Ebony magazine’s 2010 “Power 150” list of influential African Americans. Just recently, the N’Digo Foundation also recognized her for making a positive impact in the community and the world. But through it all, Connie remains humble and focused on serving her community.
Connie Lindsey shows us the possibilities of working with purpose. We can’t help but look forward to more great things to come from her career and community leadership.

1 Skirt, 3 Great Looks

1 Taupe Skirt, 3 Looks by thevyne

Though pricey, look at how versatile this Stella McCartney skirt is. You can easily take it from spring to fall and day to night. Check out where you can find these pieces by clicking on the picture.