If you've been a reader of this blog, you probably know about the Secret Lives of Dresses series. (If you don't know about them, the links are over there in the sidebar, on the right.)
And you probably also know that, for the last couple years, I've been lucky enough to be able to raise money for some great charities by offering to write new "Secret Lives" vignettes if we reach our donation goal.
This year, I hope we can raise $1500 for Books Through Bars, a charity in Philadelphia that provides books, especially dictionaries, to prisoners. They are working towards starting a program in a nearby women's prison, and our donations would go towards that effort.
If we make our goal, I have a new prize this year. You see, there's going to be a "Secret Lives of Dresses" book (just like many of you have asked for!) sometime in 2010, from Grand Central Publishing in the US and Hodder in the UK. And guess what? It's a novel! A novel that I haven't exactly finished yet, so I have room to rename a character! If you donate to this charity drive and email me a copy of your receipt (email is erin at dressaday dot com), I will choose one name from all the donors and name a character in the novel after him or her. (Yep, seriously.)
I don't care if you give a dollar or a hundred dollars (although obviously, I'd prefer you give a hundred dollars, if you can …). But if you give anything at all, you have a chance to be a character (or at least a character's name) in the "Secret Lives of Dresses" novel. In addition, my wonderful editor at 5 Spot/Grand Central, Caryn Karmatz-Ruby, has offered to send me a box of their fantastic books to give as prizes for some runners-up (whom I'll also select randomly from all donors) …
So, what are you waiting for? Scroll back up and click the "donate" button, and help a woman in prison educate herself so that, when she is released, she never has to go back.
The Donate For Good site accepts PayPal and credit cards; please put "DressaDay" in the "Designation" box so that Books Through Bars can make sure that our donations go to their women's program.
[Oh, and speaking of contests, the winner of last week's "enter a fabric store on the wiki and win a pattern" contest is Jinnan-tonnyx — Jinnan, drop me an email with your mailing address, okay?]
A Dress A Day 
Congrats on the novel, Erin!!
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I can see this line beginning to form for Secret Lives of Dresses book signings. So exciting!I expect you will reach the donation goal quickly!
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ooh I can’t wait to see the book! I just got given some goodwill Paypal funds so I’ve passed it on to you. Fingers crossed they don’t spam my address, though, I wasn’t expecting to have to register just to give…
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oooooowill you have vintage pattern illustrations through out the book?
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Erin, You have brought me so many nice customers…I’m glad to share the wealth. And I am excited about the book! Thanks, Tina
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What a wonderful idea! I’m sure it’ll be a great success. And I’d love to see what character you’d assign to the lucky DAD-ers name. Would their features have to be nominatively determined in some way, or would that be too obvious? Can’t wait to see what you come up with…
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IMMORTALITY!!! Definitely worth a $25 donation/bribe.Erin, you’ve reminded me of a pleasant memory I have never quite cashed in on! The (minor) character of Flint in the novel “Piece of Work” is based on me. Or at least his voice and style and demeanor is. The novelist is an inlaw of a good friend of mine, and we all end up in her books in disguise at one point or another đŸ™‚ PS: The main character of Mary is based on Lauren Bacall, who practically gave the author a nervous breakdown when they did a book tour together.http://www.amazon.com/Piece-Work-Laura-Zigman/dp/0446696005/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1228510698sr=1-1PSS: I don’t think “Piece of Work” actually sold that well, so maybe you don’t want me in your book. A word to the wise…
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Fantastic! Both the charity and the prize!
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That’s awesome about the novel. I hope everything works the exact way you want it!!! I will work hard to get a little something to this charity. I believe books of any type even dictionaries are important for learning. Thank you for always highlighting these charities I would not have known many of them.
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Just want to say I love your blog and all the patterns you show. I was randomly browsing ebay and came across this listing that instantly made me think of your blog! http://cgi.ebay.com.au/RARE-1950s-LUTTERLOH-Golden-Rule-Manual-465-Patterns_W0QQitemZ140286199883QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Non_Fiction_Books_2?hash=item140286199883_trksid=p3911.c0.m14_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A1%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318Currently resisting the temptation to buy… dont have Lutterloh ruler. Hope you enjoy the eye candy!
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Ooops forgot to say congratulations on the book. Will be a fantastic read I’m sure.
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Erin, It seems your non-USA readers will not be able to donate – it won’t let me complete my credit card details because will only allow USA state and zip code. grrr. Perhaps you could pick another charity that international readers can contribute to???eg These 2 appear to be able to accept credit card payments from international…http://literacybridge.org/donatenow.htmlhttps://www.roomtoread.org
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This is a great charity, and I don’t want to take away from it, but I thought the folks here might be interested to see this one as well:http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=213211This is a teacher in Chicago, teaching in a low-income area, who is trying to raise money to start a sewing class at her school.
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And here are two more teachers looking for donations to teach sewing:http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=233348http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=203963
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Erin, I would LOVE to donate – I give to Sars, I’m certainly not going to slight YOU – but EVEN THOUGH I have a PayPal Account (love you, PayPal! Call me sometime!) I get nada, zip, zilch when I click. I am click-challenged. However, I am also book-rich, and certainly close enough to ALSO donate Real Live Books to the women, too. And yank my siblings into it. Is there an address for that for the Philly ladies?Too Stupid to Donate, Yet Willing
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And also too CONGRATULATIONS!!!!Yeesh.
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Get Real Dress a Day Donating to Books through Bars? Come ON! Women in prison have a roof over their heads and regularly scheduled meals for their stomachs (not to mention access to better health/dental care than many hardworking, functional members in free society) and it is all because they did something very wrong.I find it appalling that at a time of such financial peril (yes, peril) that people are actually donating to this cause-a fictional character named after them or not!I have certainly been able to appreciate your charitable recognition and efforts toward U.S. veterans and the like, but prison inmates of any kind are without extras such as books due to decisions they made at some point which brought them to their prison lifestyles in the first place. It is ultimately up to an individual to reform him/herself during a prison spell, but access to books is not going to be their life-changing catalyst.
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Xan,You’re wrong. Study after study has shown that access to books and education is the #1 thing that helps people reform their lives after going to prison. Prisoners without access to books and education are much more like to commit another crime upon their release. I hope you never make a mistake serious enough to land you in prison, but if you do, I hope you receive more mercy than you have shown with this comment.
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How are they going to reform themselves once in prison, Xan, if they have no tools with which to work? I have no problem with saying No TV – although there might be rioting – but I don’t want to live in a world where it’s considered appropriate to deny someone books. Books ARE the tools with which people can improve themselves. And the women who’ve gone to prison for killing their rapists, the wives who signed the joint tax forms that their EX-husbands fraudulently prepared? They’re in jail, too. They’re not all drug addicts – as if that was a good reason to deny someone a book.I’m in favor of the DEATH PENALTY, and I wouldn’t deny someone in prison access to books.
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