Lip-Sticking

Friday Musings - Because someone has to...support women

by Yvonne DiVita

 This post is because I believe women need all the support we can get when it comes to work, healthcare, and family. I know we don't all agree on how that support should be delivered - but, we believe in the purpose, don't we? This week has had some troubling issues being reported in the news. And, coming to my email box. Here are a few that I find disturbing and which I hope you will participate in changing. 

Let me say that I'm all for accepting responsibility. I'm all for managing a budget. I'm all for getting out there and doing, instead of standing around whining. But, I am not for ignoring that some folks need a helping hand (needed one myself a few years back); nor am I able to address the national budget - I can manage my budget, and my business's budget, but to say I have answers on the national budget - no way. As for getting out there - many of us are doing that. Many of us are standing up for what we believe in. As you do that, please consider the fact that women still have a long way to go to achieve true equality and independence, in this country. 

Sharing the Rediscovery of Wonder

by Yvonne DiVita

My thanks to Elizabeth Berry for sharing this TED talk by Janet Echelman on her Facebook page. I found it so inspiring and uplifting, I had to share with my Lip-sticking readers. The last bit of the 'talk' was life-changing it its simplicity - it echoes how I feel about life, about art, about innovation.

I am in awe. See if you agree.

 

Someone to know

by Yvonne DiVita

It's been awhile since I cared much about fashion. Don't get me wrong, I love clothes. I love shopping. I love watching shows that have a fashion focus. But, I don't obsess about them  - or me. I dress comfortably these days. And, I wear a lot of black. [this pic is from eons ago when I was...I think, 13! OMG!]

Imagine, however, being a designer - having fashion be your career - and having your work shown at the Oscars - on the body of 'someone' who can connect you to all the important someones you need to know to rise to that next level. Say what you will about the Oscars (they're overdone, their tawdry, they don't focus on reality), this is one major event on one night of the year. To be able to be part of it by having someone attending wear your designs - is lifechanging.

Friday Musings - A little bit and then a little bit more

 by Yvonne DiVita

Interesting article on women in business, in India - do they know something we don't?

Women’s Leadership Programs Missing Key Elements; Could Mean Missed Opportunities for India Inc., New Catalyst Study Finds

Key findings of this report include:

• Fewer than 50 percent of companies held managers accountable for meeting diversity targets through performance goals or links to bonus pay or compensation.
• In the area of mentoring, where reporting companies had relatively high rates of implementation—71 percent with formal mentoring programs, including 68 percent with programs for high-potential employees—only one third reported tracking outcomes such as promotion and/or retention rates.
• Most India Inc. companies (75 percent) reported having flexible work programs, but many failed to track utilization of these programs.
• visit the link above for the complete article, and share some thoughts in our comment area

Are You Ready For Valentine's Day?

Article by Chloe Spencer 

Valentine's Day is coming up, in just a week. Many of you I'm sure are done with your V-Day shopping, but some of you, I'm also sure, are still pondering over what to get your special someone.

It's easier if he's your fiance or husband, but what if he's your boyfriend and you haven't been with him long enough to know what kind of gifts he'd like?

Well, I have a solution, because I, too, have suffered from the I-have-no-idea-what-to-get-him anxiety before a holiday or birthday. I wrote an article, Gifts For Men, on a website I built on men's fashion. The website isn't quite finished yet, but the article is, and I'm very willing to share it with you in this time of need! Gifts for men are easy to come by, but hard to pick out! You can read my detailed list of the best gifts for men, confirmed by a man of taste and style, including suggestions such as the best brands and styles, and their price ranges, if you click the link in this paragraph. Find out how to buy cologne that your man will personally love, learn what type and brand of wallet to buy him, how to shop for clothes for him, and more.

Correct use of the word Awesome the Lilly Ledbetter Story

by Yvonne DiVita

This is for my daughters, my granddaughters, my friends, and everyone who has ever worked hard through discrimination.

It's the first anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Act where President Obama went to bat for women and equal pay. This video is of Lilly, herself, talking about her story, sharing what brought her to this purpose and showing us all that we need to continue standing up for women to make changes in how business and politics look at us, how they treat us, and how they view us as human beings.

As a woman who understands this issue - and too many of us do - I cannot stress the importance of getting behind this story and sharing with everyone you know. It's not a party issue. It's a people issue.

This isn't a story that is hard to watch or hard to hear. It's a story that is uplifting and encouraging. Despite the setbacks and the long enduring timeframe needed to make this happen, Lilly shows all of us that change is possible and that never giving up makes a difference. I hope you'll share the Lilly Ledbetter story with others and spread the word.

This link goes to President Obama and his words on the Fair Pay Act and Equal Pay For All Workers video. Another video worth watching and sharing.

 

A Woman's Power

As seen on Facebook from Mary Costanza:

Ladies everywhere...this is for you- when you're feeling down or lonely. This is for you when you're feeling lost or worried. This is for you when you wonder if you're on the right path or if you should take the fork in the road. This is for you if you want 2012 to be the best year ever. This is for you if you see a shadow lurking about and want to let the sun in. This is for you if you used to know it, but lost it, somehow. 

Share it with everyone you know. Tell us why it resonates with you. Tell us why it's important to know and share. Tell us how being a woman is an art in and of itself.

The Real Woman Creed
By Jan Phillips

I believe that within me lies an extraordinary radiance, and I commit to letting my light loose in the world.

Women and Health: Designing Your Second Half of Life

by Yvonne DiVita

Yes, there is a 2nd half to life for women. It comes around age 50. Unlike our mothers, who considered 50 'old', today's women know that 50 can be enlightening, invigorating, freeing, and full of expectation. We disdain the rocking chair on the porch. If we knit, it's because we need a blog post! If we cook, it's because we have a passion for taste - and love sharing. If we're married, we're happier than our mothers were (because we have a friendship as well as a marriage), and if we're not married, we're content and full of the wonder of life as it beckons us with invitation.

The BlogTalk Radio show shared here (from Kelley Connors and Real Women on Health) happened on Wednesday. I was sorry to miss it as I had a good number of questions I wish I could have asked. Like - if estrogen is so important to a woman's health, why does it cause complications later in life? And, are we too focused on not aging, today? We say we're younger and more vital than our parents were - and we're proud of that. But, aging is normal. Why fight it? I like sitting and relaxing and just... watching a bit of TV, or watching the geese fly over the backyard or strolling around the walkways of our neighborhood, at a leisurely pace - not because walking is good for my health, but because I like to walk. What's wrong with that?

When I'm 64 - No, When I'm 90- I wanna be her...

From Advanced Style, a blog about women, style, age, and confidence - that's MY description anyway, there's Ilona Royce Smithkin who is 90 years young (yes, young, just watch this video and see if you don't agree) sharing some thoughts on life and growing ... up. Up is better than 'old'... isn't it? 

Would that WE who are not 90 yet, but aspire to reaching that milestone, could embrace her advice and learn that it's not about others, it's about us... just as she has learned it's best to always be yourself.

This is too fantastic not to share. OMG! Look at those eyelashes! Mom, this is for you! 

 

Real women on health

by Yvonne DiVita

From a good friend and colleague I met via my All the Single Girl Friends connection (Toby Bloomberg whom I write about often here), we have a health site that is sure to get you on track for good things in 2012.

Kelley Connors from KC Health is focused on women and mid-life in this video - something that is certainly close to MY heart. I lke the way Kelley uses the word 'designing' here. The act of designing your life resonates with me. How about you? I hope you'll join us on this show and share your thoughts - and ask your questions.