Dog-Eared: Bracelets for a Cause

In January, I began a feature called Dog-Eared, in which I share with you pages of inspiration ripped straight from the magazines I get delivered to my mailbox.  Thanks to a few reader recommendations, this past month I also picked up InStyle from the newsstand, and instantly fell in love with this magazine.  I also read Real Simple and Marie Claire, but believe I'm just a few years shy of their target demographic, since nothing really jumped off the pages to grab my attention.

Tonight, while watching American Idol I managed to filter through the clutter that is currently my living area, and find this month's inspiration... BRACELETS.

From the March SELF issue (Hayden Panettiere cover) there was a feature entitled The Lazy Girl's Guide to Being, which provided health tips for those who prefer the quick and simple route to being healthy.  Since spring and summer are just right around the corner, it is vital to remember to apply ample amounts of sunscreen.  Recently, I realized that I would much rather be pale than to have sun spots, wrinkles, and gasp cancer.  I have a few moles that I keep a cautious eye on, as a result of a few teenage (ok, ok early twenty-aged) burns.  Last time I had them checked they were not of cancerous-concern, but I still have moments in the shower when I see them and think omg-skincancer-imgoingtodie!

This particular article highlighted a product that I think every twenty-something female should own and wear daily.  It's Spa Finder's "I Will Reflect" bracelet, which turns lavender after harmful exposure to UV rays.  The best part is that it only costs $5, and money raised from your purchase goes towards the Skin Cancer Foundation's melanoma-awareness campaign.  Click that little link, and go buy yourself one!!

 

From the March issue of InStyle (Anne Hathaway cover) comes my second source of inspiration, also a bracelet.  Another common theme, one which I value very highly, is that it also serves a purpose of charitable goodwill.  Rachel Bilson (long live Summer Roberts) who is a contributor to the magazine, reported about a recent trip to South Africa and Botswana, where she learned more about the diamond mining industry and how it positively effects the inhabitants of those two countries.  The Diamond Empowerment Fund (DEF) is a non-profit organization that supports the education system in diamond-producing African nations, such as the two Rachel visited.  She has designed a leather and diamond bracelet that helps raise money for the DEF, and more specifically, to aid in the purchase of additional student housing for a Johannesburg university.  While this bracelet is a little less economically friendly than the one featured in SELF, at $100 you will be getting an accessory that will help generate awareness for a great cause, and $20 of the purchase goes directly toward improving education and empowerment for many African children.