LBD for a Night Out

Today is day 4 of wearing this little black dress. 

Today's weather is a bit chilly so I added a long sleeve shirt underneath my dress.  Yesterday it was raining all day and I just have to give thanks for the blessing to have rain boots, a waterproof jacket and a closet full of clean clothes to wear.

Over 4,000 children in Charlotte schools are reported homeless. They aren't just wearing the same thing every day, they might also be sleeping in it & they definitely aren't washing it.  Junior League of Charlotte volunteers work with families who are trying to transition out of homelessness so children can have at least the stability of calling something other than a school cubby their "address." Help me turn 1 dress into addresses, by donating  to the JLC HERE

Before I go any further I want to share how tremendously thankful I am for every email read, social media post liked & shared, and for the generosity of family, friends, colleagues near and far who have kindly donated to my page in support against poverty.  ALL of you have warmed my heart but most importantly you've warmed the hearts of those in need! 

YOU can fight this fight against poverty with me by clicking below 

Help Make Poverty Unfashionable

Most of you know that Ryan, my husband, practices medicine in the ER here in Charlotte. So we personally are invested in the health of our community.

Did you know.....

There are almost 100,000 uninsured Children in North Carolina.  Children without health insurance coverage are less likely than insured children to have a regular health care provider and to receive care when they need it. They are also more likely to receive treatment after their condition has worsened, putting them at greater risk of hospitalization.  Through our Healthy Family Initiative, Junior League of Charlotte volunteers ensure that children living in poverty get health, audio, eye, & dental screenings at our health fairs and at our Big Shots Saturdays, over 400 children a year are getting required immunizations to keep them healthy and in school.  Wanna be a Big Shot? Your tax deductible donation helps us keep kids healthy. Donate HERE

For the fourth installment on styling a LBD I'm sharing a night out look.  All you need is a snazzy pair of heels, some statement jewelry and a small handbag.  Because gals, you are off the clock! There is no need to haul around more than the essentials (lipstick, phone, keys and your wallet).  

Speaking of phones, I know we all want to capture those 'I'm all dressed up and not sitting on my couch tonight' pics with our friends but I challenge you to keep the phones down and your eyes up.  Be present with your company & enjoy the conversation.  Everything else will still be there later. I promise. 
That's what 'latergram' and 'about last night' posts are for :)

LBD  ||  Pumps & Similar  ||  Clutch  ||  Earrings  ||  Sunglasses  || 

Dress Beautifully in a LBD for a Night Out

XOXO Sarah Louise

LBD & Florals

Today is day 3 of wearing this little black dress. 

1st things 1st, THANK YOU! To all that have shared my posts and generously donated, I am truly grateful!!!! 

YOU have made a difference!

It's already midweek and getting ready for the day was more simple but surely not as fun.  Same dress again. And this time it has avocado stains on it from dinner last night UGH.  I didn't wash it but fortunately, I do have a washing machine and dryer in my own home, electricity and running water to power them, and income to spare after buying groceries to also purchase detergent. This is not a reality for all in our community.

Yesterday was a busy day.  I wanted to be out and about so that I could share with those at my go-to places all about LBDI and poverty right here at home.  I was able to chat with folks at Home Depot (who knew plants and poverty talk go together), Trader Joe's, and a local bakery.   Today I've got several more places to go spread the word.

For 134,000  individuals in Charlotte falling below the national poverty line access to clean water, clothing and bedding are hard to come by. Can you imagine??!!

YOU can fight this fight against poverty with me by clicking below 

Help Make Poverty Unfashionable

For the third installment on styling a LBD I'm using florals.  Now that it's Spring give me all the pretty blooms.  Adding floral accessories like a scarf, shoe or a light weight topper adds print, color and life to your look.  It balances all the black. When adding florals keep everything else neutral and understated.
I've had this jacket for a few years now and it's truly one of the most beautiful pieces in my closet.

LBD  ||  Floral Topper - Another & More floral options  || Sandals

Dress Beautifully in a LBD & Florals

XOXO Sarah Louise

LBD & Color

Today is day 2 of wearing this black dress.

First, let's recap yesterday's experience.  The day started off exciting and full of energy as I met up with other ladies in the JLC to film about LBDI and what we are doing to fight poverty with a local Charlotte news station.  I then spent the rest of the day at my desk which included sharing emails and lots of social media posts about my participation in LBDI and the fight against poverty.  It was a rainy day here and all I could think is how lucky I am to have a nice rain jacket and boots that I can put on.  Choices are a blessing!  I cooked dinner for my family (trying very hard not to get my dress dirty on the 1st day!), then headed out to an evening meeting and wrapped up the day cheering on the Tarheels! Mr is a UNC alumni so you can imagine the enthusiasm in our home.

The highlight was when after I had clicked 'send' 'post' 'share' online and my family was the first to support my efforts with a large donation! Love them :)  I am so VERY grateful for all of those that are supporting me and the fight against poverty.  We are changing lives!

YOU can help feed children, clothe children, provide medical care and educational tools by clicking the link below
Help Fight Against Poverty

Today I didn't have to walk into my closet and scan through all the colors and garments to pick out my outfit.  My LBD was hanging right on the door.  I'm going to be out and about today and I'm eager to spark conversation around the city.

Here's some interesting info on why YOU are essential ...

In our state of North Carolina, over half a million children are living in poverty.  It is estimated almost 1 in 4 children in North Carolina are living in a household where there is uncertainty regarding access to food.  The Junior League of Charlotte will deliver over 10,000 backpacks of weekend food during the current school year at Reid Park Academy. 

Education on Poverty is Key

This databook contains a wealth of information on national economic wellbeing as well as how North Carolina stacks up against national averages:

http://www.aecf.org/m/resourcedoc/aecf-the2016kidscountdatabook-2016.pdf

The Junior League of Charlotte has invested over $300k and committed more than $500k worth of volunteer time at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Title I school Reid Park Academy. Our dollars & volunteers helped build a collaborative system of care model that provides families living in poverty access to resources & services to meet basic housing, food & physical & emotional health needs. Why should you give? Because your dollars make a difference in what we do for our neighbors in Charlotte. 

"To help children grow into successful, productive adults, their parents need well-paying jobs, affordable housing and the ability to invest in their children’s future. When parents are unemployed or earn low wages, they may struggle to meet their children’s most basic needs. Economic uncertainty also increases parental stress, which, in turn, can compromise parenting. The negative effects of poverty on children also increases the chances of poor outcomes for youth and young adults, such as teen pregnancy and failure to graduate from high school."  - The Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2014 Kids Count Data Book

For the second installment on styling a LBD I'm using pops of color. I chose pink but absolutely any color adds beauty to this dark canvass.  The trick to bringing color to a solid black look is to use shades of that color. The easiest way is with texture and print.  A neck scarf, handbag, shoes and jewelry are all elements that do just that.

LBD  ||  Pink Sandals  ||  Handbag  ||  Scarves  ||

Dress Beautifully in a LBD & Color

XOXO Sarah Louise

Friday 5: LBDI

Today we're going to have a long talk on what I believe to be truly unfashionable.
Poverty.

Next week I'm going to wear the same little black dress for 5 days, Monday- Friday,  in efforts to raise awareness and funds to combat poverty. It's called this the 'Little Black Dress Initiative' (LBDI). I'm not doing this alone, but as a member of the Junior League of Charlotte (JLC).

Let's face it, we are blessed!! Amen! We have more than we need but yet right in our same county, city, zip code and even neighborhoods there are those that are hungry and struggling to survive.

I'm not sure what it's going to feel like...
to not stand in my closet and choose from a plethora of garments,
or to not step into a freshly cleaned outfit (I will not be washing my dress to take full advantage of the experience)
or to wear black over and over (you gals know I rarely ever wear it)

But I do hope ...
I make a difference
I gain an appreciation for my blessings
I influence others to make an impact

I'll be sharing lots of info about LBDI every day next week as well as all about my experience.

Please consider supporting my personal fundraising goals by clicking this link below
https://connect.clickandpledge.com/Organization/jlcharlotte . . .

Here's an overview ....

1.       What is the Junior League of Charlotte? 

The Junior League of Charlotte, Inc. is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, to developing the potential of women and to improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.  The JLC was founded in 1926 and in its 90 years, has provided more than 1.5 million hours of volunteer service and more than $13.5 million to the community.  Our membership includes almost 1900 committed volunteer members in the Charlotte and surrounding community.

2.       What is the Little Black Dress Initiative?

The Little Black Dress Initiative was pioneered by the Junior League of London who, during London Fashion week, wore the same black dress to work, parties, dinners and events to raise funds and increase awareness of poverty in the city.  The campaign was such a success, the group called on Junior League chapters across the world to host their own LBDIs throughout the year.  LBDI is a week-long, social media driven fundraising campaign that uses the iconic LBD to raise awareness about poverty and its effects. Participants wear one LBD for five consecutive days and are encouraged to harness the power of their social media platforms to drive online donations, which are collected through a charitable fundraising site.  The purpose of LBDI is not just to wear the same dress for 5 days.  The dress serves a purpose to spark conversation.  It provides a chance for us, as Junior League of Charlotte members, to discuss the needs in our community and what we can do to help. 

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​3.      

 Where will my donations go?

The funds raised make possible the work and mission of the Junior League.  All donations are fully tax deductible.  Just some ways the JLC is addressing the devastating effects of poverty are:

o    Providing more than 400 children more than 1,000 immunizations through Big Shots Saturday so they can attend school and stay healthy.

o    Annually delivering almost 10,000 ​backpacks of food for the weekends and/or holidays to Reid Park Academy students as well as providing a mobile food pantry with fresh fruits and vegetables through our partnership with the Second Harvest Food Bank

o    Teaching both children and adults how to prepare healthy meals and helping families plan meals based on their Loaves & Fishes food allotment through our partnership with AdaCooks!.  

o    The JLC Give Kids a Smile team assists in providing free dental care to over 70​ children per year and also provides education to elementary children on dental health.

o    Assisting grieving children cope with the loss of a loved one at Chameleon’s Journey.

o    Our partnership with EmpowHERment allows our members to mentor girls in grades 6 through 12 at 4 at-risk schools within CMS.  The mentoring events provide a unique forum for mentees and mentors to bond with other women and girls through shared learning experiences, connections to networks and exposure to community resources & issues.

o    The JLC Promising Pages team works to distribute books at Title I schools and community outreach events like the Magic Book Party Programs at Reid Park Academy.  

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.       Is there a poverty problem locally? 

Yes!  Here are just a few shocking statistics:

o    50,000 children in Charlotte are currently living in poverty

o    Almost 1 in 5 children in Charlotte are currently living in poverty

o    Over half a million North Carolinian children are living in poverty

o    Over 4,000 children in CMS schools are reported homeless

o    1 in 4 children in North Carolina are living in a household where there is uncertainty regarding access to food

o    134,000 Charlotteans are living in poverty

o    12% of North Carolinians are homeless

Thank you for reading along!!! And not to worry I've still got some fashionable things to share.
I've rounded up 5 LBD's in a variety of shapes sure to flatter every gal ...

Fit & Flare  ||  Shirtdress  ||  Sheath  ||  Wrap  ||  Shift  ||

Dress Beautifully in a LBD

XOXO Sarah Louise