Wristbands are here!

PCOS Awareness wrist band bracelets are coming! We have had numerous requests for these and we have been looking everywhere for them with no luck. So we decided to have them custom made. These wristband bracelets are teal debossed silicone with "I am stronger than PCOS" on them. These will be available in limited quantities and will be available exclusively at Aerabella's Boutique! 100% of the profits from the sale of these wristbands will be donated to the PCOSA. Get 'em while you can!

November is National Lung Cancer Awareness month! Show your support and love for those affected by lung cancer with our lung cancer awareness jewelry. We have many different items to choose from, from charms and pendants to rings and earrings with the traditional sparkling clear CZs and crystals.

Know the symptoms of PCOS:

• Amenorrhea (no menstrual period), infrequent menses, and/or oligomenorrhea (irregular bleeding) — Cycles are often greater than six weeks in length, with eight or fewer periods in a year. Irregular bleeding may include lengthy bleeding episodes, scant or heavy periods, or frequent spotting.
  
• Oligo or anovulation (infrequent or absent ovulation) — While women with PCOS produce follicles — which are fluid-filled sacs on the ovary that contain an egg — the follicles often do not mature and release as needed for ovulation. It is these immature follicles that create the cysts.
  
• Hyperandrogenism — Increased serum levels of male hormones. Specifically, testosterone, androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS).
  
• Infertility — Infertility is the inability to get pregnant within six to 12 months of unprotected intercourse, depending on age. With PCOS, infertility is usually due to ovulatory dysfunction.
  
• Cystic ovaries — Classic PCOS ovaries have a "string of pearls" or "pearl necklace" appearance with many cysts (fluid-filled sacs). It is difficult to diagnose PCOS without the presence of some cysts or ovarian enlargement, but sometimes more subtle alterations may not have been recorded, or are not recognized as abnormal, by the ultrasonographer.
  Enlarged ovaries — Polycystic ovaries are usually 1.5 to 3 times larger than normal.
  
• Chronic pelvic pain — The exact cause of this pain isn't known, but it may be due to enlarged ovaries leading to pelvic crowding. It is considered chronic when it has been noted for greater than six months.


• Obesity or weight gain — Commonly a woman with PCOS will have what is called an apple figure where excess weight is concentrated heavily in the abdomen, similar to the way men often gain weight, with comparatively narrower arms and legs. The hip:waist ratio is smaller than on a pear-shaped woman — meaning there is less difference between hip and waist measurements. It should be noted that most, but not all, women with PCOS are overweight.
  
• Insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, and diabetes — Insulin resistance is a condition where the body's use of insulin is inefficient. It is usually accompanied by compensatory hyperinsulinemia — an over-production of insulin. Both conditions often occur with normal glucose levels, and may be a precursor to diabetes, in which glucose intolerance is further decreased and blood glucose levels may also be elevated.
  
• Hypertension (high blood pressure) — Blood pressure readings over 140/90.
  
• Hirsutism (excess hair) — Excess hair growth such as on the face, chest, abdomen, thumbs, or toes.
  
• Alopecia (male-pattern baldness or thinning hair) — The balding is more common on the top of the head than at the temples.


• Acne/Oily Skin/Seborrhea — Oil production is stimulated by overproduction of androgens. Seborrhea is dandruff — flaking skin on the scalp caused by excess oil.
  
• Acanthosis nigricans (dark patches of skin, tan to dark brown/black) — Most commonly on the back of the neck, but also but also in skin creases under arms, breasts, and between thighs, occasionally on the hands, elbows and knees. The darkened skin is usually velvety or rough to the touch.
  
• Acrochordons (skin tags) — Tiny flaps (tags) of skin that usually cause no symptoms unless irritated by rubbing.

What is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)?

• Is also known as Stein-Leventhal Syndrome or Polycystic Ovary Disease (PCOD).
  
• Affects an estimated 6-10% of all women and most don't even know they have it.


• Is treatable, but not curable, by medications, changes in diet and exercise.
  
• Is one of the leading causes of infertility in women.
  
• Has been identified for 75 years and they still aren't sure what causes it.
  
• PCOS is generally considered a syndrome rather than a disease (though it is sometimes called Polycystic Ovary Disease) because it manifests itself through a group of signs and symptoms that can occur in any combination, rather than having one known cause or presentation.
  
• There is no cure for PCOS. It is a condition that is managed, rather than cured.
  
• Affects far more than just reproduction.


• At this time, there is no single definitive test for PCOS. This is because no exact cause of PCOS has been established yet. This is why there is a wide-range of opinion on how to diagnose and treat PCOS.
  
• Treatment of the symptoms of PCOS can help reduce risks of future health problems.
  PCOS is associated with increased risk for endometrial hyperplasia, endometrial cancer, insulin resistance, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease.
  
• IT IS NOT just a cosmetic problem.


• Although up to 15 million women in the U.S. alone have PCOS, less than half know they have it!

September is PCOS Awareness month!

There are several places you can go for information about PCOS:

• www.pcosupport.org
• www.pcostoday.net
• www.soulcysters.com
• www.projectpcos.org

There are forums for support for women with PCOS: (You don't have to go through this alone!)

• www.pcoscommunity.com
• pcostcc.proboards83.com/index.cgi
• www.soulcysters.net

For the whole month of September, all of our PCOS jewelry is 20% off!

Autism Awareness Jewelry is now available at Aerabella's Boutique!

Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime. It is part of a group of disorders known as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Today, 1 in 150 individuals is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. It occurs in all racial, ethnic, and social groups and is four times more likely to strike boys than girls. Autism impairs a person's ability to communicate and relate to others. It is also associated with rigid routines and repetitive behaviors, such as obsessively arranging objects or following very specific routines. Symptoms can range from very mild to quite severe. For more information on autism, please visit http://www.autismspeaks.org/.

We have made the donations from the sales of our awareness ribbon jewelry. So far we have raised over $510 for the Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Association, the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, The American Cancer Society, and the American Lung Association. To purchase our awareness jewelry, please visit: http://www.aerabellas.com. Just a reminder, for more information or to make a direct donation to any of these, please visit:
PCOSA - http://www.pcosupport.org/
NOCC - http://www.ovarian.org/
ACS - http://www.cancer.org/
ALA - http://www.lungusa.org/

We have just added purple ribbon jewelry to our line.

http://www.aerabellas.com/catalog.php?category=28

Purple ribbons symbolize so many different things - domestic violence, religious tolerance, animal abuse, the victims of 9/11 (includes police and firefighters), pancreatic cancer, Chron's Disease and colitis, cystic fibrosis, leimyosarcoma, macular degeneration, Sjogren's Syndrome, fibromyalgia, lupus, sarcoidosis, the homeless, Mucolipidoses, thyroid cancer, ADD, ADHD, Alzheimer's, cancer survivor (this is a general color that anyone who has survived cancer can wear), children left unattended in cars, childhood or pediatric stroke. Whatever your cause is, this are perfect to show your support for someone you love!

I couldn't resist these Lampwork Beads with the purple paws on them. These are so stinking cute! These would be perfect to make a pair of earrings to show support for our furry friends! You can find this charm and our other animal abuse awareness items here - http://www.aerabellas.com/catalog.php?category=27

There is a new PCOS message board called the Cyster Connection.

http://pcostcc.proboards83.com/index.cgi

Go check it out!

For those of you who do not know, I lost my dad last year to heart disease. In honor of my father, we have added red awareness ribbon jewelry, with 10% of the purchase price being donated to the American Heart Association. Heart disease is the number one killer in America. As many as one out of every three women will die from a heart attack. I don't like those odds. Help support the cause! - http://www.aerabellas.com/catalog.php?category=22

Red ribbons also symolize - AIDS/HIV, alcohol substance and drug abuse (includes inhalents), MADD, DARE, Epidermolysis, Bullosa, love, heart disease (also uses the red dress symbol), supraventicular tachycardia, Wolff-parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW), Pro-life, hypertension, Evans Syndrome

SIDS Awareness Ribbon Charms and Pendants - www.aerabellas.com/catalog.php?category=18

We now have plain silver awareness items to choose from. These are perfect for any cause you support! Choose from ribbon charms, ribbon prayerbox pendants, earrings, rings, and bracelets!

www.aerabellas.com/catalog.php?category=24

I am very happy to finally have sterling silver baby rings in stock and ready for purchase! I have been looking all over for these. We have several different styles to choose from, the standard polished band, and angel ring, a rose ring, and cross ring and 2 different adjustable styles. These are perfect for any occasion, birthdays, Christenings, Communions, or just because! You never have to have a reason to give a gift that will make a child smile! Please visit our Baby Boutique here: http://www.aerabellas.com/catalog.php?category=6.

We have suspended production for monogrammed items until we reopen on January 2, 2008. All non monogrammed items will still be shipped out as orders are received.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

There is still time to get our beautiful monogrammed jewelry for your favorite person in time for Christmas! We will be shutting down production on December 19, 2007, with the last date for shipping on December 21, 2007 and will re-open on January 2, 2008. During that time, orders can still be placed, but no orders will be shipped until we re-open. We hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season!

For those that do not know, Pantene has started a campaign called Beautiful Lengths Million Inch Chain for women affected by cancer to get real hair wigs. As Pantene Beautiful Lengths wigs are created, they are distributed for free through select American Cancer Society wig banks across the country. Women facing cancer can find out about the availability of a Pantene Beautiful Lengths wig by calling the American Cancer Society at 1-877-227-1596. The Society can also help callers with a number of resources providing educational and emotional support. My mom is a breast cancer survivor, so I asked her to be the one to cut my hair for this. And here ya go...banded up and ready to be sent off in the morning.

For more information about donating hair and joining the Million Inch Chain, please visit http://www.beautifullengths.com/en_US/index_home.jsp.

Our picks for the holiday season...

Sterling Silver Square Monogrammed Signet Ring - $29.99

This ring has got to be our best selling ring ever! This square faced signet ring has a very modern, sleek look to it with a square shaped band. These are solid heavy rings that will last a lifetime! Every woman needs at least one monogrammed piece of jewelry and this ring is versatile enough to be worn with a tee shirt and jeans or with your perfect little black dress!

Our picks for the holiday season...

Sterling Silver Oval Monogrammed Baby Bracelet - $30.99

Every little princess deserves to have her very own sterling silver personalized monogrammed bracelet! These precious little bangle bracelets are always a hit and the oval face is always a favorite! Perfect for a name or monogram, you can even add a numerical date to the back. These are also available with square and round engravable faces.

Our picks for the holiday season...
Sterling Silver Rectangle Monogrammed Cufflinks $36.99

For that special man in your life - no suit is complete without a pair of sterling silver monogrammed cuff links! These are perfect for any occasion! Round, Square and Oval are also available.

Christmas is fast approaching and it's time to start thinking about gifts. We can make it simple! What could be a better gift than one that is custom created for that special person? Nothing makes a gift more personal than one that is personalized with a monogram! Monogrammed jewelry is a southern tradition that is always classic and always in style. Our monogrammed sterling silver jewelry is the perfect keepsake gift that will be treasured and handed down for generations!

We get so may requests for other colors in our line of awareness jewelry, we have just added today the pink ribbon jewelry for breast cancer in honor of my mom. And of course in keeping with our attempt at making a difference, 10% of every purchase will be donated to the American Cancer Society - Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. As many as 1 in 8 women will have breast cancer sometime in their life and it is not an easy thing to fight against and win. Nobody knows that better than my mom. I am very happy to say she is a SURVIVOR!

There's still time to bid on some great items up on the auction block at the PCOSA's Awareness Auction going on RIGHT NOW! Check it out here - (Outdated Link Removed). You can even bid on a $75 Gift Certificate to our website - http://www.aerabellas.com for anything in our inventory you want, from the PCOS Awareness jewelry to the sterling silver monogrammed jewelry! Don't forget, it runs through 5 pm on September 28!!

During the month of September, the PCOSA is having a month long awareness auction to help raise awareness of PCOS. This auction is being managed by cMarket.com and you can bid on or buy some of these great items donated at (Outdated Link Removed), or visit the PCOSA's website - www.pcosupport.org for auction updates.

Click the picture to visit the PCOSA

September is PCOS Awareness Month - let's spread the word!!! You can read about the symptoms and causes here - http://www.aerabellas.com/pages/AboutPCOS.php. I know it's sometimes difficult to talk about such personal things, but we do more damage by staying silent!

Aerabella's Boutique (http://www.aerabellas.com/) is very proud to be making our first donation to PCOSA this Friday from the sales of our teal ribbon jewelry line. Every purchase made so far except one has been specifically designated by our customers for the PCOSA and we have decided to match the donation amout 100%. Just a reminder, you don't have to make a purchase from us to support this very important cause, you can always make a direct donation at http://www.pcosupport.org/pcosa/donate.php!

We have had such a great response to our teal ribbon jewelry and so many questions about these items in other cause colors, we have added a new line - clear ribbon jewelry! you can find them here: http://www.aerabellas.com/catalog.php?category=15 Most of these items are like our teal line, just with clear crystals and CZs in them. And in our continuing efforts to give back, we will be donating 10% of the purchase price to The American Lung Association. For more information on lung disease or to make a direct donation, please visit www.lungusa.org.

Aerabella's Boutique (www.aerabellas.com) is so incredibly excited to now offer limited edition hand beaded and sequined ovarian cancer coin purses from the fabulous and very popular New York based accessory designer, Elissa Bloom! You have got to see these gorgeous coin purses! http://www.aerabellas.com/catalog.php?category=13 Even Tommy said "WOW!" when he saw them! The ribbon coin purse is hand beaded with shimmering silvery beads on both sides and features a blue sequined and beaded ribbon on the front. The flower coin purse has green iridescent sequins on both sides and a flowing purple and pink sequined and beaded flower on the front. Both are brand new with tags direct from Elissa Bloom. And of course, a portion of the proceeds of both coin purses will be donated to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC).

So many of you have shared your stories with me on why the teal ribbon is important to you that I have made a special page on our website (www.aerabellas.com) for just that reason. Please feel free to share your stories here: link removed .

The response to our new line of teal ribbon jewelry at www.aerabellas.com has been absolutely astonishing. The stories you all have shared of your loved ones and why the teal ribbon means so much you is overwhelming! I am speechless to say the least (and that never happens!) Thank you all so much!

We, here at Aerabella's Boutique, have been so blessed and fortunate this past year, we knew it was time to help. Both Tommy and I both talked at great length about what was most important to us, to our family, and we were deadlocked on two issues. We have decided that we can support both and let the buyer choose the charity. So, Aerabella's Boutique (http://www.aerabellas.com/) has added teal awareness ribbon jewelry to our line. We have teal ribbon charms, pendants, earrings, bracelets, and rings, - many adorned with sparkling Swarovski crystals set in sterling silver. We will donate 10% of the purchase price of these items to the buyer's choice of charity: The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC) or to the Polycystic Ovarian Sydrome Association (PCOSA). The NOCC raises awareness and promotes education about ovarian cancer. The Coalition is committed to improving the survival rate and quality of life for women with ovarian cancer. For more information or to make a direct donation, please visit http://www.ovarian.org/ "It whispers, so listen." The PCOSA exists to provide comprehensive information, support, and advocacy for women and girls with the condition known as polycystic ovary syndrome. For more information or to make a direct donation, please visit http://www.pcosupport.org/ These are very two important causes for so many women. They don't just effect a woman, they effect her husband, father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, and friend. It is absolutely crucial for us to do what we can to promote awareness and education of both.