The Investment Dresser

She's ridden them, she's raced them – and now, for the second time, she's devoted her life to saving them. Normile, who 15 years ago founded CANTER, a rescue mission to save race horses, is the founder of Saving Baby Equine Charity, a nonprofit rescue aimed at saving horses of all breeds.The charity came about while Normile, who has lived near North Territorial and Napier since 1984, was writing a book Saving Baby: How One Woman's Love for a Racehorse Led to Her Redemption, about her experiences in racing and with horses,JFJ condemns mob killing of cross in general."Horse rescue remains an integral part of my life," said Normile, who left CANTER in 2006 and started Saving Baby about 18 months ago. "The first one was strictly race horses and other breeds that needed help I referred to other rescues.there were so many requests, I thought I didn't just want to write the book, I wanted it to have a purpose. I wanted it to help horses."It's a love she started developing while growing up in Dearborn Heights. She'd collect those little rubber toy horses – a collection she has on her dresser to this day – and she'd ride those mechanical horses.

The minute she started earning money baby-sitting, Normile recalled, she'd trundle over to a riding stable to ride. After she got married and had her two daughters, she'd take them as well. It wasn't until her mid-30s she realized what she was missing."I got to be 36 years old and thought, 'What have I always wanted in life that I don't have because, my goodness, my life is half over?'" she said with a laugh. "Immediately it popped into my mind – a horse."She and her husband ended up moving just over the Plymouth Township border into Salem, to property in the Plymouth-Canton school district and with a Plymouth mailing address."We moved in 1984 so that I could get horses and fulfill my lifelong dream," Normile said. "So that's what we did."Always a fan of the Kentucky Derby, Normile remembers being caught up in Secretariat's run to the Triple Crown in 1973. She got to visit Claiborne Farm 15 years later, when Secretariat was standing at stud. She got to get up close and touch him and have pictures taken with him."It was a turbulent time and Secre

Area organization helps outfit low-income girls for prom

In the hustle and bustle among a rainbow of prom dresses, MaryAnne Baker noticed one girl out of the hundreds that passed through the door that day.The girl sat patiently with her father. Baker said the pair waited hours for the girl's turn to sort through the dresses, shoes, purses and other prom accessories that Baker's organization, My Girlfriend's Closet, provides at no charge to low-income students."She was darling; she'd come out of the dressing room and do a little twirl," Baker said.Later that day, after she helped hundreds more girls sort through dresses to find just the right one, Baker learned the rest of the story about the teen who had caught her attention.The previous year, right before what would have been her junior prom, the girl's mother lost her battle with cancer. Her father had quit his job, and the family's financial situation worsened.But there she was, a year later, picking out a dress for her senior prom with her father at her side.In most cases, Baker doesn't get to hear why the girls cannot afford prom attire, but it's stories like these that motivate her to run My Girlfriend's Closet each year.
"There's lots of those stories, and that's why we do what we do," Baker said.My Girlfriend's Closet collects gently used formal attire. Each spring, before the start of prom season, those dresses, shoes and accessories are given away. Any junior or senior girl with a valid high-school ID can get a dress.This year, Baker already has more than 400 dresses, and My Girlfriend's Closet continues to accept donations year-round.My Girlfriend's Closet also accepts men's attire, although there have not been many donations this year."I am so amazed by the grace and the giving hearts in our community," Baker said. "These are not crummy hand-me-downs. They are beautiful, beautiful dresses."
And they are a huge help to many families as a 2012 survey from Visa pegged the average price of attending a high-school prom at $1,078 from attire to a limo rental and dinner."They do love the dresses, the ability to pick something out that they can keep and wear in the future as well," said Bob Duffey.Duffey is the superintendent for Career Success Schools, which operates charter high schools in the Phoenix area. More than 70percent of students who attend Duffey's schools receive free or reduced-price lunch.

Comet STARRS dresses up night skies, visible with naked eye

The first of two comets heading toward the sun this year made its closest approach to Earth today and will be visible in the Northern Hemisphere beginning on Thursday.Skywatchers in the Southern Hemisphere have been able to see Comet Pan-STARRS for weeks at twilight, even without binoculars or a telescope. The comet came about 100 million miles from Earth today."As Comet Pan-STARRS was setting on the southwestern horizon, its nucleus was visible to the naked eye," photographer Michael White from Manawatu, New Zealand, wrote to accompany a stunning image of the comet posted on the SpaceWeather.com Web site.The comet, officially known as Comet C/2011 L4, was discovered in June 2011 by the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System, or Pan-STARRS, in Hawaii.
Comet Pan-STARRS is believed to be a first-time visitor to Earth after being gravitationally bumped out from the Oort Cloud, a repository of small icy bodies located beyond Pluto in the solar system's back yard.Comets, which are comprised of minerals, rocks and ice, are believed to be remnants from the formation of the solar system some 4.5 billion years ago.As a comet approaches the sun, some of its ice vaporizes, creating an envelope of gas and dust, called a coma, around its body. The heating also generates two tails, each of which can be more than 1 million miles long.One tail is comprised of dust and the other is made of molecules ionized by sunlight.
Comet Pan-STARRS currently is inside the orbit of Mercury and brightening as it heads toward the sun."Observers in the Southern Hemisphere say the comet can be seen with the naked eye even through city lights. Currently, it is about as bright as the stars of the Big Dipper. The comet could become even brighter when it moves into Northern Hemisphere skies in the second week of March," SpaceWeather.com reports.Northern Hemisphere sky-watchers will get their chance to see the comet beginning on Thursday, though the best views may come later in the month."To see it, you will need an unobstructed, cloudless view of the western horizon.It is best to pick a dark spot, away from street lights," University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy wrote in a press release.The comet should be visible in the direction of the setting sun just after the sun slips below the horizon. Twilight and moonlight may make viewing the comet difficult. The best opportunity to see it may be on March 13 when the comet appears just beneath a thin crescent moon, astronomers said.

Bridesmaid Dresses: Done

This convertible chiffon A-line gown by Jenny Yoo is gorgeous and very flattering for a bridal party that comes in all shapes and sizes.The coolest feature on this gown? You can create over 15 different looks with two convertible panels that can be styled for each bridesmaid. If one of your bridesmaids is a little self-conscious about going strapless, just pull the convertible panels up and give her a draped one shoulder wrap! One dress, endless possibilities.My party is small with only three women, but they range in size and personality so I knew choosing one uniform look wouldn't work well. I decided on a color and allowed the ladies to choose their own dress. Hands down, the Aidan won.Expertly Engaged tip - If long gowns are not your thing, the shorter version of this dress is called Keira. To view the entire Jenny Yoo 2012 collection, click here.
Another Expertly Engaged tip - If you are in Boston and looking for Jenny Yoo dresses, you MUST go to Flair on Newbury Street. The boutique is very well-appointed and the service is top-notch. Shout out to Elaine who helped get my ladies fitted and ready for the big day.Recently, Website, a popular brand name in women apparels, presents an entirely fresh array of the low-cost special occasion dresses.Classy granny styles & bold dresses bring LFW curtain down.As with other groups showcased from the website of Website, this particular collection is sold with special savings also.
Having a considerable collection of brand new gowns for sale in varying colors and styles, Website is one of the greatest places to get low-cost special occasion dresses on the internet. The particular range embodies cheap prom dresses, elegant evening dresses, sexy cocktail outfits and homecoming gowns. All outfits in the category are unique. The shades vary from intensive crimson, blue and dark to stylish beige, pink, olive green and shades of glowing orange. DressBraw claims they can supply whatever the customer needs.In addition to these, Website offers many other dresses too, like wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, evening dresses, and more. Every dress is splendid and meticulously made. Website is surely sticking to its promise of "sparing no energy to provide a great range of products for costumers as well as fast delivery."

Classy granny styles & bold dresses bring LFW curtain down

Classy, timeless, evergreen ladylike creations, which never cease to entice women of all ages and generations, were the flavour of the final day of London Fashion Week (LFW), which was wrapped up by a series of talented designers presenting a variety of avant-garde collections.Dublin-born designer of mixed origins Simone Rocha drew inspiration from the dressing styles of her Irish granny Margaret Gleeson and Chinese grandmother Cecilia Rocha to create her latest Autumn/Winter 2013 line. Rekindling nostalgia with a fresher touch, the bubble gum and powdery pink collection featured elegant veils, dropped waist dresses, apron-styled skirts, white shirts with lemon hued collars and cap sleeved cropped tops.Belgrade-born Roksanda Ilincic painted a ghostly scene by taking inspirations from the fairy tales of haunted girls and virginal brides in her show at LFW. Showcasing furs, treated lace, PVC and neoprene materials in abundance, the bewitching range included firm and lustrous overcoats, full skirts, strapless tops and furry collared capes in shades of sweet pink, brown, nude and neon.
Indian designer Ashish Gupta featured a streetwear influenced collection enriched with sequins, checks and hound's-tooth patterns.Phoenix nonprofit dresses girls for prom on budget.The glamorous line included slip dresses, sparkling blanket ponchos, sweatshirts, floor-length gowns and slouchy trousers in a muted palette of grey, brown, monochromes along with occasional dashes of orange and yellow.Gothic architectural structures dominated Chinese designer Haizhen Wang's collection which capped off the final day of LFW. The 2012 fashion fringe winner brought the curtain down with a quirkiness infused original line featuring bold and versatile garments made of leather, Italian wool and crocodile skin textures. The collection included tailored jackets, tight-fitting trousers, strappy back tops and V-neck black gowns.
Reality TV star Kim Kardashian is reportedly having trouble adjusting to her pregnant body and misses wearing her little dresses."She's miserable that she can't get into her little dresses anymore. She can't wait to be a mommy, but she hates that she can only wear leggings and loose tops. She also misses her regular workouts and it's getting her down," a source said.It was reported that Kardashian has put on a lot of weight already and nothing in her wardrobe fits her any more, reported Aceshowbiz.The 32-year-old has been spotted going to the gym more than ever over the past couple of weeks."It feels like a losing battle to Kim, though, as she is going to gain additional weight no matter what. Some people can stay thin when pregnant, but her body type seems predisposed to get bigger," the source added.