Enter to Win Spring Shopping Spree from Neiman Marcus and Women’s Forum

Today I came across two great Spring sweepstakes! Here in Southern California we’ve definitely got Spring Fever with amazing warm temperatures this week. I know I’m ready for some fun new Spring & Summer clothes to kick off the season! How about you? I know much of the United States is still buried under cold snow from the recent storms but this is a great way to cheer you up and start thinking about the warmer weather to come.

Hurry over to Women’s Forum on Facebook http://bit.ly/XosTbh and enter for your chance to win a $500 Visa gift card to kick off your Spring shopping and say goodbye to winter. What would you buy? I think I’d start off with new patio furniture to extend our outdoor living space for the summer season. The contest is open to residents of the United States who are eighteen and older. The contest closes on Easter Sunday, March 31, 2013.

The second sweepstakes I came across is a $5,000 Shopping Spree on NeimanMarcus.com! Wow! You could definitely buy new summer clothes for the entire family with that fantastic prize. Head over to their website to enter for your chance to win this amazing prize! The contest is open to residents of the United States and Canada who are eighteen and older. The contest ends on April 15, 2013, better known as Tax Day in the USA!

Don’t forget to share these great contests with your friends & family. Maybe they will share the prize with you if they win! Good luck to all who enter. Have you come across some great contests? Share them in the comments below!

Robert Downey Jr., Gene Simmons, Sean Penn and Jodie Foster Join Forces for Charity

The spirit of holiday giving is going full swing in Hollywood. Golden Globe winner & Academy Award nominee Robert Downey Jr., GRAMMY winner Gene Simmons of KISS,  along with Academy Award winners Sean Penn, Mel Gibson, and Jodie Foster join forces to support Mending Kids International next Saturday, December 1st as they take part in the Four Kings & An Ace poker tournament at the London Hotel in West Hollywood, CA.

A limited number of tickets to play poker with the celebrity guests as well as spectator tickets are still available. Event tickets can be purchased here. The tournament will take place inside the Gordon Ramsay restaurant at the London West Hollywood.

The evening proceeds benefit children worldwide who are in need of life-changing surgical care. Over the years, thousands of children have received corrective, transformational surgeries that have given them a chance at longer, healthier and happier lives. Most of the surgeries performed are to correct congenital heart defects, orthopedic abnormalities, severe scoliosis, and significant cranial facial deformities.

Robert Downey Jr has just wrapped filming on MARVEL’s Iron Man 3, due in theaters May 2013 while Sean Penn stars in the upcoming Gangster Squad, due in theaters January 11, 2013.

Sponsors of the evening include Variety, the London West Hollywood, Morgan’s Jeweler’s, Gibson’s ICON films and more.

Readers, have you ever tried this? It looks like a really great trick to get a classy looking bun if you have long hair. I think I need to give this a whirl the next time I come across a sock that’s lost its friend somewhere in the laundry abyss! What other  hair tips have you found to be successful that others may not know about?

Bananarama Tour for PINKTOBER; Yasmin Le Bon in Avon’s Breast Cancer Crusade

Bananarama for Hard Rock Cafe’s PINKTOBER 2012

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The American Cancer Society reports the latest statistics for 2012 – “the chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer some time during her life is about 1 in 8. The chance of dying from breast cancer is about 1 in 36. Breast cancer death rates have been going down.”

Early detection by getting annual mammograms for women over the age of 40, along with self exams on a regular basis combined with better treatment regimens have led to higher survival rates over the last few years.

Cancer is a terrible disease and I don’t think I know anyone who hasn’t been affected by it. During October there are a plethora of events and ways to support breast cancer research and awareness across the country and around the globe. Whether you choose to volunteer, donate money or educate others on cancer awareness, it all adds up and helps save lives.

Supermodel Yasmin Le Bon and Laura Whitmore are Avon’s Breast Cancer Crusade Ambassadors. For every promise made on their website, Avon will donate £1 to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade. You can also enter to win a celebrity t-shirt on the site! Take a look at Avon’s behind the scenes video of Yasmin and Laura as they prepare for the photo shoot and discuss their experiences with cancer.

80’s British pop band, Bananarama, featuring Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward are currently touring the USA having joined forces with the Hard Rock Cafe to celebrate 30 years of music and the launch of the Hard Rock Cafe breast cancer charity PINKTOBER 2012. Remaining tour dates include stops in Los Angeles on October 11th, Seattle on October 13th and it wraps up in Las Vegas on October 15th where you can hear classic hits like Venus and Cruel Summer. 100% of the proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Noreen Fraser Foundation to raise funds for breast cancer research. For more information on the PINKTOBER events check out the Hard Rock Cafe events page.

Other Southern California breast cancer awareness events include the annual Bowling for Boobies event sponsored by the Busted Foundation who aids women that are suffering financial hardships due to medical expenses from breast cancer treatment. The Foundation also educates women on their options to help them attain the broadest possible support network during their treatment. Orange County native, Melissa Henry has been participating in and supporting this fun evening to raise money for breast cancer resources since 2005. Bowling For Boobies® Los Angeles Fundraising event takes place on October 21st at Jillian’s on Universal Citywalk and they are only half way to their fundraising goal with 11 days to go! You can make a difference when you donate to support these great causes by making a promise, buying a t-shirt, or dancing the night away to classic 80’s hits. Every $1 counts.

Lyric Culture Presents its ‘Electro Sexual’ collection With Private INXS Performance

by Cindy Robinson

Lyric Culture recently presented its ‘Electro Sexual’ collection during a private fashion show and intimate performance in Beverly Hills, CA at the Gibson showroom from iconic Australian band INXS.
Hanna Rochelle, founder of Lyric Culture, met the band in 2005 when they working at a recording studio in Los Angeles on their hit album, “Switch” with Rockstar: INXS winner J.D. Fortune. Rochelle was inspired by the colorful imagery, gritty and wildly expressive, often controversial lyrics in the songs penned by Andrew Farriss and the late Michael Hutchence. The ‘Electro Sexual’ collection of women’s apparel and accessories were unveiled in a runway show inspired by the INXS songs “Suicide Blonde,”  “Devil Inside,”  “New Sensation,” and “Beautiful Girl.”
Lyric Culture’s designs also capture memorable lyrics from the Beatles, Madonna, Rod Stewart, the Beach Boys, Miley Cyrus, Carrie Underwood and more on their stylish t-shirts and accessories. Their designs are available nationally at stores such as Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Wal-Mart, and Claire’s Accessories.

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The fashion show culminated with a private performance by INXS as a preview to their concert at the Wiltern Theatre. The semi-acoustic set show cased the talents of INXS band members Kirk Pengilly, Jon Farriss, Garry Beers and Andrew Farriss (guitarist Tim Farriss had the night off) but lacked in the frontman department as the performance went off with a big surprise – singer J.D. Fortune wasn’t in the house as the band opted to have their back-up singers perform lead vocals for the short set. The event was attended by music and fashion industry guests. Panda Express and Monster Energy Drink  sponsored snacks & beverages for the guests. Please enjoy a semi-acoustic performance if the INXS classic, “Don’t Change”: