I was shocked to learn that my hometown, Montreal, will be hosting the Conference for Haitian Relief today. The conference will be attended by Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon, U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive and French Foreign Affairs Minister Bernard Kouchner. Together, along with others, they will try to figure out how to rebuild Haiti. This nation, which had already seen it's load of troubles way before January 12, will take years and billions of dollars to rebuild. Their challenge will not only be to come up with a sound plan of reconstruction but more so to put this plan into action. This devastated country will need an honest government, new infrastructures, buildings built to withstand earthquakes, a strong agriculture base and consistent manual and financial help and this for the next several years.

The disparity in living in Haiti is flagrant. This is an important factor to keep in mind. Relief funds will have to be diligently managed, otherwise it is very likely that the rich will find a way to secure relief funds for themselves leaving the poor majority of the population helpless.

These are all issues that will have to be dealt with in today's one day conference. God be with them.

Love, Kelie.

Quote for today and everyday!

The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power. - Hugh White

All eyes on Haiti!

All eyes have been focused on Haiti since last Tuesday's earthquake and it seems to be the only thing I can talk about. Today however, it is more difficult. I was saddened to hear earlier today that one of the children from the mission I went to last year did not make it. All the others are safe which is really amazing but I wish they could have saved him as well. The children of Haiti are so beautiful, extremely loving and affectionate and I miss them terribly. Let me present to you only a few of the faces I fell in love with.

Photo credits: I took these pictures in a simpler and happier Port-Au-Prince, in August 2009.

I cannot wait to go back.

Love, Kelie.

Check out our side bar for easy donating to Haiti via the American Red Cross. :)

The most amazing thing happened!

The lady who started the mission that I went to last year in Haiti is alive. We are so grateful for her life but what makes us rejoice even more is how it happened. We learned yesterday that Elsie, that's her name, was getting ready to take a shower, last Tuesday afternoon, when her phone rang. She postponed her shower to answer the call. It was one of the workers helping her with the mission house. While they were on the phone, the earthquake happened. All the worker could hear was Elsie screaming and then the phone line went dead. Little did he know that his phone call saved Elsie's life. Had she been in the shower, she would not have had enough time to escape from her apartment which completely collapsed. All she had time to do is wrap a sheet around herself and run out of a hole in the wall of her apartment.

In light of this tragedy it is the survival stories just like this one that give us hope. Continue keeping Haiti in the forefront of your prayers because the recovery will be long and arduous!

Love, Kelie.

My Ruelala finds!

Speaking of Ruelala, let me show you what I got from their Calvin Klein boutique a few weeks ago! Forgive the photography. Am using my point and shoot digital camera because I am not able to find any professionally taken online photos.

These boots are really beautiful! I know the pictures don't do them justice so you'll have to take my word for it. They are in leather, of course, with small black eyelets at the front tip and all around the calf. You can't see it in the picture here but the heel and platform are in patent leather. Just another extra detail that make these boots a great find!

When I saw these flats in the online boutique, it was love at first sight. I loved the hardware detail on the front and the print. Animal printed flats are so elegant and bring a certain je ne sais quoi to any basic outfit. But the best thing about them is how comfortable they are. I tried them on immediately when I received them and notice how the shape around the foot avoided the main pressure point. You know what I'm talking about. That spot on your big toe where many of us put a band-aid to support some of the pressure from the shoe's border. Well, with these fabulous flats you can let the band-aids fulfil their real purpose!

Love, Kelie.

PS: FWAC purchased a professional camera so we can bring you high quality photos an videos in the future! Exciting!

Ohlala Ruelala!

I have made some great purchases on ruelala.com. I love their boutiques, wide selection and prices. But I love them even more now because of an email they sent me yesterday. And it read like this:

Dear Kelie:

Rue La La joins the rest of the world in grieving the tremendous losses to the people of Haiti. Out of respect for those who have lost loved ones, their shelter, and life's basic necessities in this tragedy, we cannot stand by while relief efforts are underway without taking action. We are halting our Boutiques from now until Saturday at 8AM ET. We ask that instead you take this time - as we are - to make a donation to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Effort.

"The losses that have been suffered in Haiti are nothing less than devastating, and responding to a disaster of this magnitude will require every element of our national capacity," President Obama has said. We hope in some small way that we can have an impact in the midst of this devastation.

Sincerely,

Ben Fischman, CEO

Their concern with this tragedy makes me want to shop their boutiques even more. It feels good to know that they care more about what's going on in Haiti than their profits. Kudos Ruelala.

Love, Kelie

Special Saturday post.

Hi guys. Am so sorry for not posting anything yesterday. My computer was under attack and I could not use it. A spyware company, who shall remain nameless, was trying to force me to purchase their product by faking an infection on my computer. Pathetic! Any way, I brought my computer in to get checked out by one of my computer savvy friends and he fixed it! Even though we don't usually post on Saturdays I felt that I should oblige! Love, Kelie.

Image by glasshalffull91 via Flickr

I feel like a million pounds have been lifted off of my shoulders, this morning. The earthquake that hit Haiti yesterday afternoon hit very close to home for many of us. I have a cousin who was visiting family in Haiti for the past couple of weeks. Unsuspecting of the events that were about to take place, he boarded a flight back to his hometown in Canada approximately 45 minutes before the earthquake hit yesterday afternoon. I, however do have other family members in the devastated land but thanks to God, they are alive and well. This much cannot be said of many people who are injured, still trapped under the rubbles or dead. The devastation in Port-Au-Prince is surreal. But for many it is as real as it gets. Now more then ever, the people of this country that I had the privilege to serve in last year and learned to love need our help. If you wish to donate here are some organizations that I trust. The White House www.whitehouse.gov

Yele Haiti

http://www.yele.org/

Text YELE to 501501 to donate $5.

The American Red Cross

http://www.redcross.org/ Love, Kelie

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) for all people and all nations. I don't know about you, but I have personally never laid eyes on this document. I think today is as good a day as any day to discover what it says and work towards making sure it is respected by all for all. As you made your yearly resolutions, I hope you remembered to make one that would not only benifit yourself but others as well. If not, the year is only a few days old so there is still time! Love, Kelie. Adopted by UN General Assembly Resolution 217A (III) of 10 December 1948 WHEREAS recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,WHEREAS disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,WHEREAS it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,WHEREAS it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,WHEREAS the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,WHEREAS Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in cooperation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,WHEREAS a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge, Now, therefore, the General Assembly Proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms. No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law. All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of the Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination. Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile. Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him. Everyone charged with a penal offense has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defense. No one shall be held guilty of any penal offense on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offense, under national or international law, at the time it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offense was committed. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honor and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks. Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country. Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution. This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations. Everyone has the right to a nationality. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality. Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution. Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State. Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression: this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. No one may be compelled to belong to an association. Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives. Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures. Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co- operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality. Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favorable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment. Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work. Everyone who works has the right to just and favorable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection. Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests. Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay. Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection. Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace. Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children. Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits. Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author. Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized. Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible. In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society. These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations. Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

Quote for today and everyday!

There's only one way to succeed in anything and that is to give everything. - Vince Lombardi

Just because we love it!

The holidays are long gone. And now that all the gifts have been opened, it is time to get what you really want. No need to wait, hoping that your loved ones actually paid attention to your wish list. Especially the section that said: NO PLAID FLANNEL SHIRT!!! I have not yet heard of a person with an actual do-not-wish-list but you might want to consider it for next year. Just so there is no misunderstanding, allow me to add a disclaimer to this post: The items featured here do not represent the gifts I wish I would have received for Christmas. They are merely items that I find appealing and wish to share with the world. My family and friends know me well and are very good at selecting gifts for me. And for this I love them dearly. End of disclaimer. Varina glam ballet flat by Salvatore Ferragamo. $490 This is the perfect ballet flats for a dressy night out. I love heels but this little number is just as chic!

Flip Mino camcorder. $200

This camcorder was designed by Courtney Cox and David Arquette and five percent of its proceeds go to Feeding America, a network of food banks.

Miss Vara poncho hobo by Salvatore Ferragamo. $1, 590 This is the perfect size bag for everyday strolling around town in style. We love the gathered detail and gold hardware. Tres fab!

Cotton tank top by Guess. $26

The price is not the only good thing about this item. In fact, the proceeds benefit Invisible Children, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending the war in Uganda, Africa. This makes this item doubly lovable. Tweed and patent leather clutch with acrylic stones by Marc Jacobs. $995 The marriage of textures found on this clutch brings added interest and dimension to any outfit. Perfect for brunch and dinner with the girls.

Love, Kelie

P.S.: Before I go, here's an idea: in the weeks leading up to the holidays try talking about the things you need and want. Not forcefully but casually, slipping them into conversations. Emphasize on how happy they would make you but that for the moment you unfortunately can't afford them and see what happens. It is definitely worth the try!

Happy New Year!