#WithSyria

“It’s the children the world almost breaks who grow up to save it.” ~ Frank Warren

It saddens me to say that the people of Syria continue to be at war with themselves with thousands of women and children, no part of the political sphere, dying each day as a result. The situation is complicated; there is no easy solution or intervention.

Today is my son’s 11th birthday. He has a life of unusual comfort and privilege, especially compared to the boys of Syria. Where he has food, they may not. Where he has a superior education, they may not be able to read yet. Where he can feel safe going to bed at night, they may fear death. His drinking water is safe and clean. His mother can cuddle him and assure him all will be all right as I know it will. I have been so fortunate to be able to give my son a wonderful life.

As a mother, my heart aches for the mothers who have to move their children to save them from violence, to feed them, to find shelter for them, sometimes without the assistance of their families or spouses. I feel helpless in the face of this. So all I can do is send my heartfelt wishes to these mothers and children that the crisis in their country will soon end, a wish sent out on my sons’s 11th birthday—from both of us.

That doesn’t mean we can not care about the people of Syria, particularly the children. An international movement, #WithSyria, has gotten attention, and the artist Banksy has made a simple statement by redoing a piece of his/her artwork to reflect this:

It is a revision of this piece of work Banksy created:

A statement on the website reads as follows:

On the 6th March 2011 in the Syrian town of Daraa, fifteen children
were arrested and tortured for painting anti-authoritarian graffiti.
The protests that followed their detention led to an outbreak of violence
across the country that would see a domestic uprising transform into a
civil war displacing 9.3 million people from their homes.

If you want to learn more, check out this Upworthy link, which inspired me.

Skin: Jalwa – Meenakshi – Cardamom – Black Eyebrows by Chandra Masala for Jalwa, available at Skin Fair 2014 (Sim 1) *

Eyes: PC pearl – bog wood – medium dark by Lano Ling for Poetic Eyes

Outfit: ::Sakinah:: Blue and Grey Abaya by Syngen Sohmers for Sakinah

Hands: Slink Mesh Hands (av) Elegant Right and Slink Mesh Hands (av) Gesture Left by Siddean Munro for Slink

Shoes: *COCO*_Thong Sandal by cocoro Lemon for COCO

Pose by Olaenka Chesnokov for oOo Studio (custom)

I Dig Egypt

The Accessory Fair to benefit Relay for Life opened this weekend with an elaborate scene straight out of Indiana Jones. Between the catacombs and the mummies everywhere, it has the feel of a movie-set fantasy—you can feel the sand under your feet and marvel at the artistry around you amidst a “dig.” (Though an archaeologist her salt would not let you step one foot in a real dig.)

But let’s face it—that’s not really Egypt. The real Egypt is a much more exciting and interesting place. It’s the home of a 21st-century revolution—the same kind of youth-initiated revolution we saw in the US and Europe in the 60s, at the fall of the Berlin wall in the late 80s, and in Tiananmen Square in the 90s. The revolution is spreading across the area, and we should be excited for them—they are finding self-government and throwing off the shackles of post-colonial corruption and dictatorship.

A Muslim woman in Egypt won’t be wearing skimpy clothes with cats-eye eyeliner–that’s Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra in a movie from the 60s. Your average young woman in Egypt is probably wearing a hijab (which I don’t show here) and a modest but pretty outfit, consisting of a tunic and slacks. This ensemble, from Syngen Sohmers, is a perfect example (and should be because she’s Egyptian). The beauty of fabrics and fashion is not lost on this outfit—the fabric is richly textured with gold accents. Women in Egypt are just as interested in how they look—they just don’t want to show a lot of skin.

It’s the perfect chance to show the beautiful face on the newest skin from Diarmuid Miklos, which is coming out next weekend. With its subtle tones and beautiful makeups (a lot of them running in the pinks, though you can’t see it in this skin), this is bound to be a new smash for Diarmiud. He includes with this set a sculpty ponytail, perfect if you want to keep arc low and fashion high. Mocksoup Graves’ makeups suit his faces really well, and I wear a little tint on my lips from her.

I am also thrilled with Reghan Straaf’s offerings at the Accessory Fair, specifically a set with an “Egyptian theme.” They are truly a treasure to be found in their “Dig.” Reghan has been making beautiful hats forever but now she’s turned her sights to jewelry and I am blown away. I love these malachite earrings with their excellent stone and gold textures. And the bracelet is .. well charming. Each little charm represents a sign of ancient Egyptian culture and while they seem cliched, they are still powerful symbols for the Egyptians who believe in their country, their culture and their future.

“You are not a realist unless you believe in miracles.” ~ Anwar Sadat

Skin with Hair: ISPACHI Skin [ AUDREY ] Ebony ~ Hair/Nude with ISPACHI Hair [ AUDREY ] 4 by Diarmiud Miklos for ISPACHI *

Makeup: M.O.C.K Cosmetics Dark Mallow Lip Creme(Lipcolor only) by Mocksoup Graves for M.O.C.K Cosmetics*

Eyes: FASHISM ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Dark Brown (ML) by Ikon Innovia for FASHISM *

Ensemble with bangles: –Sakinah– Rasha Outfit Lt Green by Syngen Sohmers for –-Sakinah– *

Earrings: {H} Egyptian Malachite Earring by Reghan Straaf for Hatpins, available at the Accessory Fair *

Bracelet: Hatpins Charm Bracelet – Egyptian Trinkets by Reghan Straaf for Hatpins, available at the Accessory Fair *

Shoes: (TokiD) gladiator sandals (brown) by Maya Levane for TokiD

RFL for My Sisters

Throughout the week I have show fashions that are being given as items by designers around the grid to benefit RFL. The beauty of the Fair is its international flavor—9 sims, 8 cities from around the world. It’s also amazing the worldwide reach of the designers contributing to this cause, from the US to Australia, Japan to Brazil. Cancer knows no borders; it finds its way around the world.

One of my best and most unexpected finds was this amazing outfit by Syngen Sohmers. Her contribution of this outfit, which does include the kind of modest head covering that may be chosen by some Muslim women, reminds us that there are many who are affected by cancer. It also reminds us that the American Cancer Society finances funding and research around the world. For example, this research helps my sisters around the world to learn about proper breast cancer and cervical cancer screening. It reaches past the barriers of cultural differences to that fundamental humanness of our lives. Syngen’s fidelity to the colors and styling of such an outfit is amazing. I was delighted to get it.

I show her outfit with one of Tuli Asturias’ new Eva skins, this time in Tone 7. Her new set of skins are lovely and *finally* released for everyone to enjoy. I think we have missed having Tuli on the grid—welcome back.

Dedicated to my sisters–SH, AD, CG, LG—who are survivors:

Skin: []::Tuli::[] Eva (tone 7/bl) 10a by Tuli Asturias for Tuli *

Outfit: –Sakinah—Inaya by Syngen Sohmers for Sakinah available on the New Delhi sim at the RFL Clothing Fair

Shoes: (Shiny Things) Saturday Flats – black by Fallingwater Cellardoor for Shiny Things

P.S. Please get over there and shop.. today is the last day and they are soooo close to their goal of 4.5 million Linden.