Proud & Pretty Valentine Challenge

We wanted to encourage a little extra LOVE this Valentine's Day!

We challenge you to make handmade cards for the girls and women you love.  We always encourage girls to give Valentine’s to other girls because this holiday shouldn’t just be about your significant other.  It should be a time to celebrate LOVE in all forms.  All relationships matter and they each bring something special to your life.  Why not show how much you care by giving a little gift straight from the heart.  It’s cheap, it’s meaningful and it’s a beautiful gesture.

If you participate please post your Valentine’s Card on Instagram, Twitter and/or Facebook and tag us (@ProudandPretty).  Also use hashtag #ProudandPrettyValentine.  For each picture you post you will be entered to win a very special Proud & Pretty in Pink Valentine!

We want to see how many of you will participate in an easy yet thoughtful challenge.

You have 10 days to get crafty!  Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at Proud & Pretty in Pink!

Xoxo!

Proud&Pretty Girl and Our 2014 Photographer!

We are so excited to announce that one of our very own Proud&Pretty Girls, Brandee Barbee, will be our 2014 photographer!  She became a Proud&Pretty Girl in 2009 and has been active within our community ever since. Brandee is now a sophomore at Cal State Fullerton and has a special interest in photography.

We love giving our girls and women opportunity to further their passions.  Brandee's passion for photography started when she was in the 7th grade.  She started taking pictures of everything.  She's never been into "selfies" but she loves taking pictures of other people and things.  Brandee was given a wish from the Make A Wish Foundation and during her interview she told them about her love of pictures.  She said "Taking pictures was like freezing a moment in time.  You can never get that time back but you'll forever have the picture as a memory." She wished for a camera that day and her picture taking hasn't stopped.

If we can help one of our own move forward with a dream or help them get a little closer to something they love, we will do everything we can to help.  Having Brandee photograph PPP 2014 is exactly that.  She will not only be our photographer this year but she will also join a group of young women as a "Face of Proud & Pretty in Pink 2014."  We couldn't be more proud of the woman she is becoming and we are grateful that she has allowed us to continue along in her journey.

Brandee will be sharing more of her story in upcoming months so make sure to keep an eye out for this beauty!

How Proud & Pretty in Pink Helped Me Accomplish My Dream

“And your 2013-2014 Miss Fontana is…” My palms became clammy. This was the moment I had been waiting for for the past three years. I was clinging onto the announcers every last word, hoping my name would follow. I never imaged that this moment would change my life forever and that the next year would be the busiest year of my life. I never anticipated that in this moment, my childhood dream would finally become a reality. “KAYLA HOCKMAN!”

Becoming Miss Fontana has always been a dream of mine since I was a small child. Wearing a crown and being a princess was the dream. I never imagined the reality of this dream, as it really is more than just wearing a crown and being a princess. I became a role model and an ambassador for the city I grew up and lived in for my entire life. I was given the opportunity to make a difference in children’s lives by giving them hugs, letting them try on my (rather heavy and sparkly) crown, posing for pictures and being a positive role model for them to look up to. It has also given me the opportunity to become involved in the community and make a difference for the individuals around me. Being Miss Fontana has formed me into a stronger and more confident individual while always being in the Fontana spotlight.

Six months into my reign, I am a changed individual, only for the better. This humbling experience has taught me to give others my smile and that in the end you should always choose happiness. It has also taught me that it is important to remember that you are always in the public eye and it’s important to remember that people are looking up to you although you may not know it. My trials and tribulations to become Miss Fontana have taught me to never give up on a dream. Although I had lost two years prior while competing in the Miss Fontana Pageant, I never gave up. I kept trying, because it was something I always wanted and I wasn’t going to stop until I achieved my goal. I guess in my situation, the third time's the charm!

I would not be Miss Fontana or the person I am today without the help of Proud and Pretty in Pink. This amazing organization has formed me into the confident individual I am today. Being an active participant in Proud and Pretty in Pink and having the opportunity to be one of the first girls to partake in their workshop/programs, has given me self confidence and made me feel beautiful in my own skin. It took me from a timid and insecure high schooler to a poised and beautiful woman. It allowed me to come out of my shell. It has taught me to always feel beautiful in my own skin, regardless of negative comments from others and society. Beauty is not defined by words, physical appearance, or actions. Beauty is rooted in our hearts and it is not a superficial thing. Everyone is beautiful in their own way, and Proud and Pretty in Pink has made me realize this. I am forever grateful for everything I have gained from this amazing organization and I thank Proud and Pretty in Pink for shaping me into the empowered woman I am today. With a little PINK in your life, you can change the world.

Written By: Kayla Hockman (Miss Fontana 2013-2014)

Age: 20

New Year

It's a new year and we are looking to feature you on our blog!  If you are a girl or woman looking to have your story, voice or opinion heard, please write about it... Take this opportunity to inspire, motivate, inform or advice others. We would love to publish your work here on Writings in Pink.  Send your writings to:  writings@proudandprettyinpink.com.

Thank you and we can't wait to read your work!

xoxo,
Chelsie and Chandra
Proud & Pretty in Pink

A Lil' Holiday Feel Good

The Holidays bring up certain feelings in us all... For some, the feelings are warmth, appreciation, joy, and love.  For others they are depression, bitterness, sadness, and gloom.  The year brings good for some of us and bad for others.  If you are feeling a little of the bad this year here are a few tips to help brighten your mood... They are small but with effort they will help.


1. Give to a good cause or someone in need. (Giving makes us feel good from the inside out.  There is no feeling like giving when people need your help.  There are so many amazing charities to donate to or maybe volunteer your time at a homeless shelter.  Many options and all are very much needed.)
2. Be around the people you love and who bring positive things to your life (We all have those people in our lives who bring us down.  GET RID OF THEM!  Especially during the Holidays.)
3. Find something you like about the season and focus on it.  (If you like to bake, do it!  Bake for your family or friends or bake and give to the less fortunate. Watch Christmas movies. Shop :), Go look at Christmas lights, whatever you choose, choose it because you like it.)
4. Remind yourself of what this season really means.  If you can't think of something special, read other's stories to help spark your thoughts.  http://homeandholidays.com/ is a great place to do this.)
5. Buy yourself something special!  Remember YOU this season and the fact that buying yourself a little something can enhance your mood. Make sure it's worth the money!
6. Appreciate the Color RED!  According to www.sensationalcolor.com, the color red increases enthusiasm, stimulates energy and can increase the blood pressure, respiration, heartbeat, and pulse rate, encourages action and confidence, provides a sense of protection from fears and anxiety. (We could all use a confidence boost and a little less anxiety during the Holidays.)  Paint your nails and toes RED, put on a little RED lipstick, and wear RED when you are feeling a little blue.
7. Get ready for the new year... Set reasonable goals and plan out how you are going to accomplish them.  Be positive when doing this and if that's difficult, find someone to do this with you.  Someone you trust and someone you enjoy spending time with.


These are just a few of my tips for making the Holidays brighter.  Everyone deserves happiness especially during the Holidays.  Be Merry, Love Life, and Do for yourself the best you can possibly do!  


Love,
Chelsie