Cancer sucks. 

There's really no way to get around that. Whether you survive your diagnosis or not, cancer makes a mess out of your life. It challenges everything you know about yourself. Cancer doesn't just stop at you. Its impact on your friends and family can last a lifetime. 

Unfortunately, cancer seems to touch everyone at some point. I've lost count of how many clients we've had who have been diagnosed. In my own family, cancer has taken the lives of my grandmother and my mother-in-law in addition to the many other non-terminal diagnoses. Cancer doesn't seem to care if you've been healthy your whole life or not, have the insurance to cover treatment or not, have a support system to get you through it all. Like I said, it sucks. 

In 2019, an estimated 268,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 62,930 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer. The good news about this (can we even call it good???) is that breast cancer is one of the easiest cancers to find and to treat. The bad news is that so many women (and men in case you didn't know) don't have access to mammograms because they are uninsured or underinsured. It's crazy to me that everyone doesn't have access to such a simple way to catch cancer before it can do much damage. 

All of that is why I am honored to partner with Susan G Komen® Houston for its 2019 Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign. I have lots of personal reasons for hating cancer, but that's not going to stop it from continuing to wreck people's lives. I wanted this partnership to make a measurable difference in peoples' lives. That's why we aren't just making this your typical give-back or percentage. It was important for me to make this tangible. For every 2 acrylic bags sold and every 5 pouches sold, Komen Houston will provide a mammogram for an uninsured or underinsured woman.    

Susan G. Komen® Houston is committed to saving lives locally and fighting breast cancer globally. Komen Houston is the only local breast cancer nonprofit attacking the disease on all fronts through education, screening, treatment, support, advocacy, and research and has set a Bold Goal to reduce the current number of breast cancer deaths by 50 percent by 2026.

I believe the simplest message can be the strongest. I have been fortunate to be surrounded by women that have embodied strength and perseverance, even through the toughest times and when cancer was laying claim to their lives.

These limited edition pink acrylic bags are adorned with the French phrase Je suis femme which translates to I am woman, a testament to the strength of women - women taking agency of their own bodies and not letting a diagnosis define who they are and who they want to be.

Why in French? My time in Paris definitely had something to do with that, but I also liked how it was both strong and lyrical in French. I hope that the mantra Je suis femme resonates with women and conveys the message that they are more than a diagnosis or another statistic. 

The bags make the perfect gift. They fit everyone. The canvas pouch makes a great makeup bag!

Please join me in raising money for Komen Houston. When you purchase a bag or a pouch, you are directly making a positive impact on someone's life who might not have gotten a screening without your help. My goal is to provide at least 100 mammograms by the end of October(Breast Cancer Awareness Month). 

Learn more about our partnership on CultureMap!