I'm making strides toward a cure

Find out how to participate and/or donate to this great cause here: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/michelekravetz

Why am I walking on Sunday, October 17th?

A year ago in November, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer at the young age of 58. She told me on Thanksgiving. I'll never forget that day.

She is, however, an amazing fighter and incredibly stubborn - she's German, what did you expect? - and utilized her strengths to fight this battle! She underwent surgery in early December, followed by an intense number of chemotherapy sessions. If I thought the words 'my mom has cancer' were bad, nothing can top watching you loved one go through chemotherapy. It was hard to take; no matter what, you feel lost and want to do more... even if there's not much you can do. One day, I forced her to let me clean her house... just so I could feel useful.

All in all, we're in a happy place because she has overcome cancer! She won! She will be back to her oncologist's office every three months for a check-up, but has been reassured she's a winner!

Today, there is more hope than ever for people facing breast cancer. However, there is much work to be done. Every day, the American Cancer Society is helping people stay well by taking steps to reduce their risk of breast cancer or find it early, when it is most treatable; helping people get well with information, day-to-day help, and emotional support to guide them through every step of a breast cancer experience; by finding cures and promising new treatments through funding and conducting research; and by fighting back by working with lawmakers to help all women get access to screenings and care.

I believe that one day, breast cancer will never steal another year from anyones life and we will live in a world with less breast cancer and more birthdays. Thats why I'm walking in the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event. Not only is this my opportunity to join my community to fight back against breast cancer, it is a way to inspire hope by raising funds and awareness to help those facing the disease and save more lives.

And you can be a part of it, too.

I have signed up to walk and I hope you will join me in my effort by signing up to join my team or making a donation in support of my participation. Together, we can save lives from breast cancer!

Find out how to participate and/or donate to this great cause here: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/michelekravetz

Dancing for a Cure!

Chicago's own Arthur Murray Dance Studio is dedicated to finding a cure for breast cancer. For the fifth year in a row the studio is presenting Dancing with Chicago's Celebrities, a fundraising gala to benefit Komen Chicago! Similar to ABC’s, Dancing with the Stars, this dazzling event boasts six of Chicago’s hottest celebrities who show off their newly-learned talent of ballroom dancing in a celebrity dance-off by performing a choreographed routine with an Arthur Murray professional. Following the celebrity dance-off, alumni from past year’s events take the floor for a group routine, followed by the Arthur Murray professionals owning the room for a knockout finale show.

This very unique fundraising event is the only one of its kind in Chicago and brings together local celebrity dancers for a magical evening of ballroom dancing, wonderful food and general dancing for all guests. And again in 2010, Top Chef Winner & Celebrity Chef Rick Bayless will compete in the Alumni Show, just following the Celebrity Dance-off with the following Chicago celebrities scheduled to appear: Bears Hall-of-Famer Gale Sayers, Radio Host Mancow, Dina Bair of WGN, and many others.

The competition will be judged by Nick Kosovich, the U.S. national champion most recently seen as Vivica A. Fox’s partner on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” and a panel of celebrity judges, including Rick Bayless.

When: Friday, March 12, 2010 at 6 PM

Where: Hyatt Regency Chicago Crystal Ballroom - 151 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601

Tickets: $175 per person / proceeds to fund raise for www.KomenChicago.org

The Beautiful Competitors of 2010 are:

• Mancow – “The Mancow Show”
• Valerie Warner – WGN
• Mai Martinez – CBS
• Erin O’Connor – Miss Illinois
• Matt Rodewald – NBC
• D.C. Crenshaw – Food Critic and Host of Game Time Dine

... and some event Alumni to be seen are:

• Rick Bayless
• Dana Kozlov
• Dina Bair
• Mike Adamle
• Ginger Zee
• Amy Jacobson
• Roz Varon
• Lisa Aproti
• Katie Lorenz
  

... with Celebrities...

• Gale Sayers
• Nick Kosovich - Dancing with the Stars
• Snow Urbin - So you think you can Dance?
  

Dancing With Chicago Celebrities hopes to reach a fundraising goal of more than $100K for Komen Chicago. The Chicagoland Area Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure ® raises funds that provide breast cancer education, screening and treatment grants for uninsured and underinsured men and women throughout the Chicagoland area. Up to 75% of the net revenue raised is distributed right back into the Chicagoland Area. The remaining 25% directly supports Komen’s National Research Grant Program. For more information about Dancing With Chicago Celebrities or The Chicagoland Area Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure ® please visit: www.komenchicago.org

When life gives you the ability, make Lemonade!

I'd love to take a moment and introduce you to something that is very important to me... please pause in your daily routine to think about the future of Chicagoans and our business environment. This is not about fashion, or style, or travel, etc. but, about learning how to better our community and that's more important than anything else I could possibly blog about today!

Intro to Lemonade Day:

Lemonade Day is brand new to Chicago and I'm joining them in creating a fun, free, community-wide program that teaches youth how to be successful entrepreneurs through building their very own lemonade stand! Lemonade Day teaches youth skills like developing a business plan, setting a budget, shows them how to seek investors, teaches successful advertising skills and best of all, they get to make and keep their own money!

Watch out Windy City,
[introduction to] Lemonade Day is coming Oct. 6 and 7!

Learn how to be a part of impacting the lives of over 10,000 kids in Chicago with this unique experience.

Please join us to learn more about how to bring this amazing program to the youth of Chicago. We're hosting three events -- we hope you can make it to the one that best fits into your schedule:

• Happy Hour Oct. 6 at 5:30pm -- Goose Island Claybourn 1800 North Clybourn. Chicago, IL 60614
• Breakfast Oct. 7 at 7:30am -- Illinois Institute of Technology. 3300 South Federal Street, Chicago, IL 60616
• Lunch Oct. 7 at 11:30am -- Illinois Institute of Technology. 3300 South Federal Street, Chicago, IL 60616

You can RSVP at the following link!

Save the Date for the Art of Design

CRAVE Chicago is happy to co-sponsor the following event; and we're looking forward to seeing you there!

OCTOBER 29th, 2009

You are invited to

"THE ART OF DESIGN"

5pm-8pm

AT HOME IN THE CITY

350 West Erie Street, 1st Floor

Join the award-winning Chicago Interior Designers of the Susan Fredman Design Group for an evening of artistic expression. The “interior design specialists” invite you to their home store, At Home in the City, in Chicago’s River North neighborhood to indulge in the art of design. The evening is focused on celebrating their one year anniversary, highlighting both local and national artists with a portion of proceeds benefiting Marwen.

Temporary exhibit includes artists Tracy Silva Barbosa, Judith Kruger’s Klay collection, Teri Tito (pictured above), Marie Burke, Diane Dammeyer, Gina Novendstern, Floyd Gompf and Norbert Shimkus. A portion of proceeds in store and artwork sales will be donated to Marwen, a non-profit dedicated to inspiring under served young people through the visual arts. www.marwen.org

TO RSVP please call 312.587.8150 or email Jill Maremont at jmaremont@susanfredman.com

For more information on the event please read our blog, Designer Diaries; Tales from the Interior.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Chicago Social Interiors, Chicago Gallery News, Rockit Ranch Productions, Shift Art Gallery, Asher Neiman Gallery and Marwen

Moroccan Night of Luxury...

Tell them Michele from CRAVE Chicago sent you...

...and I'll see you there!