IN HONOR OF

{you can kinda see my Dad and I in the corner of this pic-it was from our wedding ceremony where we had a memorial for my Mom with 2 doves}

With it now being in the middle of October (where has the year gone? seriously), I'm reminded in many ways and forms that it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Today, if you have lost a loved one to Breast Cancer, you are able to honor them and help those who are battling.

Most of you that have been following my blog for a while know this by now, but for those of you who don't, my mom passed away back in 2001 (I was 16) after a courageous 13-year battle with breast cancer. After my mom passed away, and just when I thought this disease would leave me and my loved ones alone, I also lost my mom's sister, my Aunt Carol, and then my Aunt Jacki (on my Dad's side), and recently Billy's Aunt Karen passed away from this awful disease as well. 

To say that breast cancer awareness is important to me and strikes a special cord inside me is an extreme understatement. It's way more than that.

Along with raising awareness, it is also equally as important to me to honor my loved ones who battled this terrible disease, as a way to keep their memory alive and close to our hearts. If you were sitting in front of me and asked me to describe my mom in one sentence, without hesitation, I would say over and over again that she was an angel here on Earth. She was selfless, heroic, funny, caring, brave, and beautiful. Above all of those wonderful qualities, she was the best mother and wife. She put my father and myself above any of her needs. The days when she needed support and strength, she gave it to us. She never complained about the cards she was dealt, and she fought like heck for her life. 

My mom volunteered at our local hospital as a chaplain to help other cancer patients cope and deal with the hard times, and not only that, she started an online support group for cancer patients. 

She was truly an inspiration to everyone who knew her. 

I've never shared this story before, but it's pretty incredible. One day when my mom was in hospice, a lady who was part of her online support group, but had never actually met her, traveled hours in her car to see my mom, to meet her, and to tell me how much my mom had made an impact on her life. She told me how my mom had helped her through her darkest days when she wanted to throw in the towel. It is something I will never forget. 

My mom is the reason I started this blog (you can read more posts about her and about the journals, like the one above, she left me here), and now thanks to Everyday Portraits I'm able to honor her, and my aunts, in a different way. Haven't heard of Everyday Portraits? Bank of America has launched a new microsite in partnership with Susan G. Komen™, Everyday Portraits, which transforms a picture and a story into a one-of-a-kind portrait that allows users to honor anyone who has fought or is fighting breast cancer.

They have made it possible for all of us to honor our loved ones who have passed and I find that be, well, pretty awesome. 

I know that in one way or another (as unfortunate as it is), breast cancer has affected most of us. If you or anyone you know would like to remember or pay tribute to a loved one, you can use Everyday Portraits to do so. You are able to upload a picture of your loved one and write a brief description about her (at no cost), and the special software will combine your words and image. I absolutely love this concept and jumped at the opportunity to create my own portrait. 

Get this. 

For every portrait created, Bank of America will contribute $5 to Susan G. Komen™ in the month of October. 

How amazing is that? Would you take 5 minutes out of your day to do this?

Click here to honor a loved one.

And make sure to get your ta-tas checked out every now and again, ladies!

*I'll be back soon sharing all about one of our favorite weekends ever (yeah, I went there)

...which includes homemade caramel apples and a special mini road trip!

just a teeny tiny teaser.

xo.