Newest Charity Partner! Mariska Hargitay's Joyful Heart Foundation #stronglikeagirl

Hope. Courage. Freedom. Fearlessness. All things are possible with an open heart—and a joyful heart.

— Mariska Hargitay, Founder & President

When you think of Mariska Hargitay, her beloved character, Olivia Benson of Law & Order Special Victims Unit, immediately comes to mind. But what truly defines and inspires Mariska is being a voice for survivors.

Her role as Olivia, the content of the scripts, and everything she did to prepare opened her eyes to the staggering statistics about sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse in the United States. She received hundreds, then thousands of letters and emails from survivors disclosing their stories of abuse, many for the first time. She wanted to answer those letters, address the suffering and isolation they described, and honor the acts of courage they represented.

Her response was Joyful Heart. Inspired by her profound connection and love for 'Hawai'i, Mariska founded Joyful Heart in Kona in 2004 to help sexual assault survivors heal and reclaim a sense of joy. Today, Joyful Heart is a leading national organization that aims to transform society's response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, support survivors' healing, and end this violence forever.

Girl Reinvented® is privileged and grateful to partner with the Joyful Heart Foundation to help raise awareness and much-needed funds for such an important cause. Thank you, Mariska, for leading a movement that defends those that can't defend themselves.  

JHF CharityRaggs (dish towels) & Hemp Tote Bags are available online through the JOYFUL HEART FOUNDATION HEARTSHOP: http://joyfulheartfoundation.org/heartshop

XOXO,

Diana Kuen 

Dan Woog, 06880 – Thank you for the awesome press!

When the VERY popular Westport CT blogger, Dan Woog, writes a story about you – it feels pretty awesome.  

I'm humbled and flattered. Thank you Dan Woog, 06880

CLICK ON LINK TO READ: 

https://06880danwoog.com/2017/10/19/diana-kuens-charityraggs/

Sandy Hook five years later: Celebrating VICKI SOTO

This December 14th will mark the 5th anniversary of the Sandy Hook massacre. Twenty-six innocent lives were lost that day, including Vicki Soto, the 1st Grade school teacher who sacrificed her own life to save her students. Twenty children died, but so many more could've perished without Vicki's selfless actions. I can't even imagine.

I've recently partnered with Donna Soto, Vicki's mom, to help raise funds for VickiSotoMemorial.com – an organization Donna founded to keep Vicki's light shining onto future generations. I am humbled and honored to help Donna celebrate her daughter's life and raise money to promote her legacy of learning through local and national scholarships. 

We have a choice: we can choose to channel our unimaginable grief into something positive, or we can perpetuate the darkness by living with anger. We attract what we project. Donna has chosen the path of Good Grief, and I'm honored to walk with her.

GIFTS THAT GIVE BACK

$5 of every handmade Vicki Soto CharityRagg Dish Towel sold directly benefits VickiSotoMemorial.com. Each CharityRagg comes with a matching, reusable gift bag.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND ORDER

Each CharityRagg design in the Vicki Soto Collection was a careful collaboration with Donna to thoughtfully capture Vicki's spirit. I am touched Donna has entrusted me to help her raise funds and keep Vicki's heart alive. Each CharityRagg dish towel is handmade by me with love and respect for what it represents.

There are four designs to choose from:

We have a beautiful watercolor flamingo and a kitschy lawn ornament flamingo to celebrate Vicki's passion for the pastel, leggy bird. Looking closely, you'll notice the flamingo's legs are crossed to represent #4 – Vicki's birthday (November 4, 1985). Also too, her name has been added as a subtle daily reminder. 

Vicki perpetuated positive energy, and that lives on through her favorite saying on the "Live, Laugh, Love" CharityRagg dish towel. The Team Vicki Soto flamingo logo adorns the bottom of the Ragg.

The perfect gift for teachers everywhere, the "It Takes A Big Heart To Shape Little Minds" CharityRagg represents Vicki's love of teaching.

Finally, a quote directly from Vicki's FB page that embodies her love of life so poignantly:

"Take too many pictures, laugh too much, forgive freely, and love like you've never been hurt. Life comes with no guarantee, no time outs, no second chances. You just have to live life to the fullest, tell someone what they mean to you and tell someone off, speak out, dance in the pouring rain, hold someone's hand, comfort a friend, fall asleep watching the sun come up, stay up late, be a flirt, and smile until your face hurts. Don't be afraid to take chances or fall in love and most of all, live in the moment because every second you spend angry or upset is a second of happiness you can never get back."

The perfect hostess gift, holiday gift, and daily reminder... 

 

THANK YOU!

We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone. 

THANK YOU to all of my friends who selflessly rallied together to buy Jermaine (a stranger to most of you) a new computer so he could continue to pursue his dreams! In only 6 days, we raised enough money to buy him a 13" MacBook Pro! Jermaine is now off kicking butt (in style) at Brooklyn College, pursuing his Master's in Psychology! Btw: I recently read an article in the NYT that if you are a male entering the field of psychology, you can basically write your own ticket – as it's such a female-dominated field! And yes, I sent the article to Jermaine. :) Here it is: "NEED THERAPY? A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND"

THANK YOU!!!! 

Jermaine: Gunned down. Paralyzed. Unstoppable.

 My Heart

Coaching and giving back with the Saugatuck Rowing Club :)

I was blessed to spend 6 glorious weeks teaching Bridgeport (CT) inner-city kids how to row this summer. As you can imagine, the experience was so much more significant and critical than just rowing. We not only had a responsibility to teach those 14 beautiful young souls how to row; we also had a duty to make them feel welcome and deserving and, more than anything, believe anything is possible. Exposure and opportunity can change the trajectory of a child's life.

Rowing has an elitist stigma, but the Saugatuck Rowing Club is working hard to change that. The rowing club seems inaccessible from the outside, but it's the complete opposite. We are, and always will be, an all-inclusive community of rowers and (your average/sometimes above average) gym buffs.

Here's a great article that was written by the popular Westport blogger, DAN WOOG 06880 :) 

CLICK HERE TO READ DAN WOOG'S 06880 BLOG POST

 

BADASS BROOKLYN ANIMAL RESCUE!

BUY A DISH TOWEL & HELP SAVE AN INNOCENT ANIMAL! 

#DISHTOWELSWITHPURPOSE

Introducing my newest animal rescue CharityRagg collection! Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue! 

Add a little whimsy to your kitchen or give the perfect gift, that #givesback! $5 of every Badass Animal Rescue CharityRagg sold is donated directly to them! Each CharityRagg comes in a matching reusable drawstring gift bag. :

SAVING BADASS DOGS FROM IDOIT HUMANS

To visit their collection, click here: BADASS BROOKLYN ANIMAL RESCUE COLLECTION

XOXO,

4th of July! My Independence Day

4th of July will always hold special meaning for me. Seven years ago today, July 4, 2010, was my #IndependenceDay. The day my life would change, on every level, forever. The day I threw caution and conformity into the wind, let go, and trusted my net. The day I stopped caring about what was expected of me. The day I decided to go after my dreams and create new ones. The day I decided to slow down, and put myself first. A year guided by trust, faith in humanity, unrelenting optimism, and self-discovery. I let go of everything safe and emptied my vessel, allowing a new world of experiences envelope me. A blank page. Anonymous. Writing my own story and letting my heart guide me. The most incredible unplanned adventure of my life. 328 Days exploring #America.

Stop waiting for life to happen to you. Go after it, and never stop lighting your own fire. No one else can do it for you!

#seizetheday #girlreinvented #stronglikeagirl #blazeyourowntrail #328days

XOXO,

HOPE FOR ERIN: PEDIATRIC CANCER AWARENESS

Social media has changed the way we raise money and raise awareness. It brings passionate, like-minded people together to rally behind causes and enact change. From wherever we are, with just a few clicks, we can sign a petition or send money halfway across the world. Heart-wrenching stories fill our news feed, from human-created catastrophes, natural disasters, sex trafficking, human rights atrocities, childhood cancer, abused dogs – the list is endless. We can't support every type of cancer research. We can't save every dog. We can't feed every child. We respond to the causes that strike a nerve and tug at our hearts. We must speak up when it matters.

This matters. "Hope for Erin" is personal. Erin is my sister-in-law and the most courageous and selfless person I know. Erin has been battling brain cancer (optic nerve meningioma) since she was 8. She lost vision in her left eye and spent the next two decades in and out of hospitals. Earlier this year, she was plagued with yet another more aggressive tumor. The cancer is unresponsive to chemo this time, and she is now completely blind. Erin is learning how to live as a blind person while undergoing high-dose stereotactic radiation and immunotherapy to HOPEfully stop the growth of her tumor. Her story is one of perseverance, HOPE, and strength. And for everyone who loves her, profound sadness.

FACTS:

Childhood cancer is the number one cause of death by disease. In fact, it is responsible for more deaths than all other diseases combined. Childhood cancer research is vastly underfunded, receiving only 4% of U.S. federal funding.

As you can imagine, Erin and her husband, Pete, are financially broken. I created and launched the HOPE for Erin CharityRagg Dish Towel: As for Me, I will Always Have Hope Psalm: 71:14 in January 2017 to relieve some of their financial burdens. While the economic toll is exasperating, I could care less what they do with the money raised. As far as I'm concerned, if she decided to say 'screw you' to her bills and buy a stunning dress so she could see her beautiful reflection in the mirror one last time – that's my vote!

I added HOPE for Erin Yellow Ribbon (pediatric cancer) CharityRagg to her collection. Erin has dedicated her life to helping children as a dedicated teacher, a selfless volunteer, and a passionate legislative lobbyist for pediatric cancer research.

We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone. Let Erin's story remind us to hug our loved ones tighter, be kinder to each other, never take a second for granted, and always have HOPE. Breathe with your eyes – for Erin.

I can't take Erin's pain away, but I hope I can give her a reason to smile. Erin is so grateful to everyone who has read her story and supported her journey. You are not alone, Erin. Your story of strength is a vehicle for awareness.

EACH CHARITYRAGG IS $15 AND COMES WITH MATCHING GIFT BAG. $5 FROM THE SALE OF EACH CHARITYRAGG BENEFITS HOPE FOR ERIN. YOU CAN ORDER CHARITYRAGGS HERE 

Memorial Day 2017: Live Big. Love Hard. Be Grateful.

I wasn't raised in a military family, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the sacrifice. Today I remember Linda and the other army wives who took me in for Thanksgiving dinner (in Colorado) during my Girl Reinvented camping odyssey in 2010. That experience, like so many others, opened my eyes to a world outside my sheltered NYC bubble. I penetrated and absorbed one unique subculture after another. Experiencing life through their eyes helped me understand the hardship and sacrifice those left behind go through. Most things are more significant and important than me; I must never forget that.

Our time here on earth is so precious and short, and to think we are surrounded by men and women that walk directly into danger, willing to sacrifice their own short lives, so the rest of us can be free. That level of courage, selflessness, and sacrifice is unparalleled. It takes an extraordinary person to be that brave.

This Memorial Day, let's take a few minutes to pause and remember how lucky we are. We must never take our freedom for granted. I can write this blog and run my own company because of the sacrifices of others. Let's honor the fallen by being kind and grateful. And if you don't experience it already, train your brain to be content. The ability to be content is what we're missing most as a society. Appreciate what you have right before you, and stop wanting and judging. Life is too short to waste time on appearances, material things, and other people's thoughts. 

Keep your circle close and love them hard, but remember to step outside your bubble too. We are all more alike than we are different. 

 

Live big. Love hard. Be grateful. 

XOXO,