Mud Cloth & More.

Like I mentioned before, Hannah has a bunch of new designs available in her shop. These were all designed and created by Hannah while in Kenya, using some pretty incredible African fabric. Hannah is continuing her missionary work until November, when she will be coming home for a bit. Hannah plans on returning to Africa in the future as well, and as a missionary work she has to raise 100% of the funding she needs to be able to live and work there. This shop is Hannah's way of raising funds, as all the proceeds go directly to support her and her cause.

Here are a few pictures of her newest collection.








Do you recognize one of the models? Hannah shot half the pictures in Kenya, and sent the clothes home to be photographed here as well.

Please visit Hannah's shop, and help spread the word.

On Sale: Kenya Dress.

Hannah's beautiful Kenya dress is now on sale for $20 off the original price tag!

Hannah is currently in Kenya where she is working with the women of Amani Ya Juu, and on her spare time is designing a brand new collection that will be available for sale in her shop soon. She continues to need support for her amazing missionary work, which comes 100% from her online shop. The Kenya dress, which is now on sale, is the perfect summer dress that can be dressed up or down. I love wearing mine with moccasins and a leather belt, but I plan on dressing it up for special occasions this summer as well. The top layer is a beautiful sheer fabric that lays over a flowered/printed fabric underneath. The dress comes in three different colors, each with a matching ribbon belt.

Postcard Preview.

In order to continue raising funds for Hannah's missionary work with Amani Ya Juu, she will be selling postcards featuring various pictures she's taken in Liberia so far. I just had the first batch of postcards printed from moo.com tonight, and I cannot wait until they arrive. There are a total of ten different pictures, which we will be selling in packs of 5 for $25 {100% of proceeds go to support her missionary work}. Here is a sneak peek of a few of the photographs used;



Aren't these pictures amazing? I promise to share the rest when they arrive and are available for sale.

A Hannah Update.

Holy cow, I miss my sister so much. It's actually a lot harder than I thought it would be, but I'm so proud of her. She started a blog for Amani Liberia, where you can read all about the creation of the newest Amani, and find the most inspirational stories. It's so amazing what they are doing for these women, I can't even put it into words. Here is a video from the fashion show Korto Momolu did in Colombus in support of Amani.


{I spy a little sister in there}



Aren't those designs gorgeous? And doesn't Hannah look beautiful (she's sitting next to Stephanie during the fashion show)?

I also want to remind everyone that Hannah's shop is still full of beautiful dresses and necklaces. She continues to need support for her missionary work so that she is able to stay in Africa for the next year, and possibly years to come. While I want her to get home already, I believe in what she is doing and want to ask for everyone's continued support.

Amani Liberia

I have a news update on my sister's missionary work in Africa & I'm so excited to finally be able to share what she has planned for the new year. Hannah will be moving back to Africa in January where she will be helping open up the newest Amani location in Liberia. If you know anything about the recent history of Liberia, you will understand what an amazing accomplishment this is for the country and women of Amani. {If you want to learn more about this countries history, you should really watch Pray The Devil Back To Hell- it's amazing.}



Anyway, you should definitely check out my sister's post about Amani Liberia and the Amani newsletter. I'm so excited for her, and can't wait to see where this journey takes her. Also, since she is moving so soon- she really needs your support. If you want to help her in her cause, or know someone that does, please share her story with them. Also, I will be helping her open an online clothing store very soon- so stay tuned for more information {her designs are amazing}.

Behind The Scenes.

I still can't get over how beautiful the pictures turned out from Hannah's recent fashion show. Robyn did such an amazing job, I just had to share a few more. These are some of my favorite candid shots from the show.





{I'm wearing this dress to a wedding this weekend.}



{Shopping through Corina's vintage clothes.}



{My mom & all the amazing items from Amani Ya Juu.}











{My favorite picture of Hannah.}

The Good, The Bad, and The Beautiful.

This weekend went so fast, no wonder I feel like my brain is made out of spaghetti today. At least my kindergartners thought it was funny to see me act like the world's biggest klutz today. I swear I was tripping over my own feet all morning and they just kept giggling.

This weekend was Hannah's benefit/fashion show, I Left My Heart in Kenya. It turned out absolutely perfect. The place was packed, and all {or almost all} of my favorite people were there. Hannah raised a good chuck of money for her missionary work, and we sold so much Amani stuff. Robyn Lee photographed the event, and let me tell you... she is one talented photographer. And she is so(oooo) nice, if you are ever looking for someone to take your picture- I HIGHLY recommend you call her. She already posted a few pictures in a 'sneak peek' album on facebook. Here are a couple of my favorites, I will post more later of course.

Isn't Katie beautiful? All the models were, but she is my favorite of course.









Oh, and the 'bad' part of my weekend. Last night Hannah and I went to see Eat, Pray, Love. I had fun getting tons of candy and hanging out with my sister. And I'm sorry if you disagree, but what a waste of ten dollars. I should have known better, considering I didn't really like the book either. I just don't understand what people find inspirational about her story? Correct me if I'm wrong, but the entire book is a story of how she constantly conforms to the people around her, can't make decisions for herself, and in the end falls in love... runs away, but finally makes the right decision because some medicine man tells her to. Okay, now that I got that out of my system I can be happy again.

I Left My Heart in Kenya.

Recently I mentioned the upcoming benefit show for Hannah's missionary work. It's getting so close to that time, and things are falling into place beautifully. Her collection is turning out ahhhmazing, and the pieces she received from Amani are incredible. It's going to be hard not to spend all my money on the clothes at this show, holy moly. If you live in the Sacramento area, you definitely need to come out.

Also, if you feel so inclined. Please tweet/blog/screamreallyloudoutyourwindow about the fashion show and/or Hannah's missionary work. K, thanks.

9.11.2010

On September 11th, 2010 my sister is going to be hosting a benefit fashion show at Space 07 Salon. Not only will Hannah be showcasing her newest collection, she will also be selling pieces from Amani Ya Juu. The show will raise funds for Hannah's long-term missionary trip to Africa where she will continue working with Amani. In addition, all proceeds from the selling of Amani items will go directly to the women in Africa who put their heart and soul into each item.

Here are a few of Hannah's designs from the past:

















Stay tuned for more information about the fashion show. And make sure to head on over to Hannah's blog.

Also, we already have an amazing photographer. But we still need a DJ and someone to donate food/drinks. Oh, and we also need [semi-professional] models that have experience doing runway. Do you know anybody that can help?

Please Read.

This is, by far, the most important blog post I have written. So if you are just passing by, please take a minute to read.

If you haven't met my sister, Hannah, you really should. I don't mean to brag or anything, but she is amazing. Not only is she gorgeous, and an extremely talented fashion designer. She also has the biggest heart imaginable. Which is why I'm writing this.



Hannah recently decided to forgo the "master plan" she had written for her life, and pursue a bigger dream that God had placed on her heart. She originally planned on going to New York to pursue fashion, which I'm sure would have brought her fame and success. Instead she has decided to pack her bags and move to Africa, where she will be teaching women how to sew. Talk about inspiring, huh?



Through connections with Franklin Graham, Billy Graham's son, Hannah was referred to an organization called Amani Africa. Amani is a faith based sewing/marketing/training project for marginalized women in Africa. The women work together in an extremely uplifting environment where they worship God and create beautiful garments. Their creations are sold across the world, and all of the money is put back into their community. Not only is Hannah planning on going to teach and help the already amazing organization, she was also asked to "spearhead" a new project in Liberia. This is an opportunity of a lifetime for both Hannah and the women she will be working with in Liberia.

Hannah started communicating with a leader of Amani just a short time ago, and things are moving fast. (So fast that I'm getting really sad, but that's just because I'm selfish and don't want to lose my best friend.) They have asked Hannah to take a short, one month, trip to Kenya in May to get acquainted with the program and assist in the redesigning of the 2011 collection. After this initial trip, Hannah will be moving to Liberia to start her journey.

So here comes the tricky part. This organization supports the women in the communities 100%, and all missionary work is funded through friends and family. Missionaries, like Hannah, are expected to fund their trips so that all of the money from Amani can go directly to the women in Africa. This is where we all come in. Hannah will need around $4000 for the trip to Kenya, and then will need funding for her long-term trip to Liberia. The cost of living for her is only $35/day, but that adds up quickly. And in addition, she will need help buying her plane tickets. Now I know times are tough for many of us. But if your bank account is pathetic, like mine, there are other things we can do to help. If you can donate to support her, please do! I have added a donation button at the end of this post and on the sidebar of my blog. Also, we need to get the word out, so please blog/tweet/fb about this. And most importantly she needs our prayers, as this is an exciting and scary (for me at least) time.

Thank you for reading. I will keep you all updated on her journey! Oh, and I promise I haven't forgotten about the fun thing I was hinting at the other day. Just so you know, it's a giveaway and it's coming soon.

She Left Her ♥ in Kenya.

{Hannah's Spring 2010 Collection}





{Amani Ya Juu's beautiful line of clothing & housewares}


My sister, Hannah, is a fashion designer with a heart of gold. This past year she decided to forgo her pursuit of the fashion industry here in the United States, and move to Africa to put her skills to use helping refugee women. Hannah works with the organization Amani Ya Juu, training the marginalized women of Amani how to sew and market goods in order to support themselves and their families. The beautiful women of Amani come from all over Africa in search of a better life, and Hannah is able to help offer exactly that. Hannah spent a couple months in Africa this past summer, and is planning on moving back in January 2011. Because this is strictly a missionary job, Hannah needs to raise all of the funding for her trip including airfare, rent, and food. If you are interested in learning more, please visit the following sites:

Hannah Lenore's Blog

Amani Ya Juu

If you would like to donate to Hannah, you can do so here: