Kansas City Gets A Little Bit Fabulous

I had never been to Kansas City in my life, and now I’ve been there two times in as many weeks. I spent the past week there for the National Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that KC is much more than bulls and BBQ.

A of all, the National Youth Awards trip is one of my favorites of the year. The Hispanic Heritage Foundation honors eight outstanding students and one teacher who are leaders in the classroom and community, and every year, they just get more and more amazing - a journalism student from New York who documented the struggles of migrant workers, a star swimmer who developed a curriculum on Darfur that will be taught around the country this fall, and a teacher, the product of segregated public schools, whose own legacy will be one of diversity and inclusion.

Esther Rege Berg, Roberto Callejas, Scott Heidegger, and me - good friends sharing good times and good drinks in KC

B of all, it’s like a family reunion, with our PR team, the Foundation staff and sponsors, our production crew and photographer, and our celebrity spokespeople all in one place. The good times are many, and this year was no exception. With Wilmer Valderrama in the house, anything goes. He is not only a talented actor, producer, and businessman, he is also a great friend and incredibly sweet, genuine, and generous. As the Official Spokesperson of the Youth Awards and last year’s Inspira Award recipient, Wil passed the torch this year to Adam Rodriguez of CSI Miami. I can’t say enough about Adam’s humility and graciousness. He is a fantastic role model for young people and someone with whom I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work.

Adam Rodriguez and Wilmer Valderrama with the 2008 National Hispanic Heritage Youth Award recipients.

We may have brought a little bit fabulosity to KC, but the city also gave a little back. The Power and Light District is a super fun neighborhood with restaurants, bars, clubs, condos, and a great outdoor music venue. Oh, and KC is the “City of Fountains.” Who knew?? I thoroughly enjoyed my time there, and with new friends and new business relationships on the horizon, and much unexplored territory (Daddy’s, anyone?) remaining, Capitol B looks forward to going back.

Happy Birthday To You…

Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Lance, Toby, Abbi, Wayne, and Teresa. Happy Birthday to you!

Chasing Harry Winston All The Way To Borders

Lauren Weisberger wrapped up the book tour for her latest novel, Chasing Harry Winston, Tuesday evening at the Bailey’s Crossroads Borders Books and Music. The author of The Devil Wears Prada, breathless from her arrival to DC only moments earlier, warmly welcomed the crowd of about 65 and dove right into the storyline of Chasing Harry. Noting that she once sat through a self-indulgent author’s 55-minute reading, Lauren promised to spare her audience a similar ordeal.

Short but sweet were excerpts from the points of view of Emmy and Adriana, two members of a gal-pal trio, who make a pact to, within a year, drastically alter the course of their lives. The crowd of mostly women laughed knowingly, if a tad self-consciously, as Emmy perused the online “Mexican Adventure” photo album of her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend, the personal trainer Emmy had hired for him. Lauren cast an understanding look at the audience and shared, “True story, I swear. Not mine, but a friend’s. We’ve all been there, right? I know I have.”

After reading about Adriana, the gorgeous Brazilian, husband-hunting daughter of a supermodel, and her misadventures in petsitting a seemingly Tourette’s-afflicted parrot, Lauren took questions and offered some insight into her own writing process. “It’s grim,” she said flatly. “A process of punishment and reward…I’m aiming to put into practice doing a little bit every day… but, a lot gets crammed into the end.”

Maybe so, but when your debut novel spends six months on the New York Times Best Seller List, sells millions in hardback, is translated into 27 languages, and inspires an Academy Award-nominated performance by Meryl Streep, perhaps a little creative leeway is in order.

Hey, Baby!

Much love and hearty congratulations to my cousin Dawn Sutter Madell and hubby Josh on the birth of their daughter. And, a big welcome to the world to Miss Beatrix “Trixie” Pearl Madell!

Brooklyn has a new little rockstar, and you may not know it yet, but I can’t wait to meet you, too!

You’ve Got Mail… From Nigeria

In November 2006, I took a solo vacation to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. I rented a cozy chalet in the middle of the woods and holed up for a week of relaxation, exploration, and inspiration. It rained a lot the first two days I was there, so I lit a fire and read. In the current issue of Yoga Journal, there was an article about a woman named Zainab Salbi.

Zainab grew up under the oppressive regime of Saddam Hussein and, after escaping Iraq, began to help other women whose lives had been torn apart by war. In 1993, she founded Women for Women International, and since then has empowered 153,000 women survivors of war to move toward economic self sufficiency. Women for Women enrolls and supports individual women through a year-long program of direct aid, rights education, job skills training, small business development, and community building.

I vowed to become a supporter as soon as I returned home. The next week was Thanksgiving, and in a symbolic gesture of my own gratitude for the safety and freedom I feel every day, I became a sponsor of Women for Women. Sponsors can specify a geographic area, or agree to be matched where need is greatest. Each sponsor is matched one-on-one with a woman and, through monthly donations of $27, provides the direct aid that will help her to achieve self-sufficiency, self-confidence, a sustainable living for her family, and a sense of community and sisterhood with other women in the program. A one-time administrative enrollment fee of $30 defrays overhead costs, and each installment of $27 provides direct aid to a woman in need. To us, this is less than $1 per day. To her, it means a year’s salary, security, hope, a vision for the future, and the realization of a lifelong dream.

I was matched with a woman named Esther from Nigeria, and earlier this year, she graduated from the one-year program to begin a new path in her life. She wrote a letter of thanks, inquired about my own family and friends, and informed me that the Women for Women office in her town had moved to an improved location, with better access roads and a more spacious and peaceful setting. She wrote…

I am even more pleased to tell you that I have graduated from the WFW program and I am grateful to you, for the beautiful opportunity you gave me to be self reliant and enlightened as a woman. Thank you so much, and may God bless you.

Your sister,

Esther

I have a new sister now. Her name is Anjelina, and she lives in Sudan. I have been involved in philanthropy and volunteer work since childhood, but this is one one of the most important things I will ever do, and the effort is minimal. Each and every one of us who goes to Starbucks a few times a month, treats a friend to lunch, gets a manicure, or buys a round of drinks can afford to do this. For the women whose lives are ravaged and put at risk by war, we can’t afford not to.

Saturday Morning Nostalgia

I miss the Saturday mornings of my childhood. Waking up in my Wonder Woman pajamas, rubbing the sleepiness from my eyes, and bounding out of bed knowing that a grilled cheese sandwich and coffee were waiting for me in the kitchen (I despised traditional breakfast foods as a kid, but my parents let me drink coffee from the age of like 5), and my favorite shows on TV.

These days it’s more like “I can’t believe I slept in my contacts again, who the hell is calling this early on a Saturday, and my god, I wish this coffee grinder had a mute button.”

But ahhh, the late 70s and early 80s were a different era. Time was soft then. My eyesight was still 20/20, Mummie made the coffee, and Sid and Marty Krofft knew how to do Saturday morning television.

There was Marshall, Will, and Holly (on a routine expedition…), ElectraWoman and DynaGirl, and Isis.

The Smurfs, The Scooby Gang, and The Super Friends.

And I could write an entire post paying tribute to School House Rock!

Fortunately, most of these gems of my youth are available on DVD. It’s also fairly evident that Gen X now rules Hollywood, with live action versions of Scooby, and Smurf and Land of the Lost movies in the works. Doug Belgrad, can you show a girl a little ElectraWoman love, too? It would make my life, and my DVD collection, complete.

Those Summer Nights…

Other than my Birthday (or any other day when people shower me with presents, cake, and champers), the first day of summer is my favorite day of the year. DC loosens up a little. People are dining al fresco everywhere you look, even the boys get pedicures, and camis, and cute dresses, and flip flops - oh my! What’s not to love?

The northern hemisphere officially ushers in the season at 7:59 p.m. EDT, and for those of you looking for ways to celebrate the Solstice, DC has two particularly fantastic options.

For those of us who recognize the magic of the day, the cloistered Mansion on O Street is hosting Caroline Casey and a gathering of like-minded mystics. Caroline’s weekly radio show, The Visionary Activist, can be heard on Pacifica affiliates KPFA in Northern California and KPFK in L.A.

If you are just looking for a fabulous party, no one celebrates the Summer Solstice in DC like the French. The Fête de la Musique at La Maison Française and its gardens promises a spectacular evening of live music, dancing, café fare, and of course, French champagne. The event takes place tomorrow from 5:00 p.m. until midnight , and due to Embassy security, tickets should be reserved in advance. Bonjour l’été!