The Cabbage Patch Dolls & The Bottle of Zambuka

With Christmas Day only hours away. There are so many things to get done, down to he last minute. Wrapping, shopping, family plans, going down the check list, preparing recipes, mailimg out cards and letters, and above all making sure we get that perfect gift for that special person (or people)
For me, i will be doing some house hoping starting with my baby sisters house tonight for our kriss Kringle.

Last night, i could not help but to allow the baby to open one of his gifts early. The one i knew he would be most excited for. The bike. As i sat on the floor next to him unwrapping his gift, childhood memories filled my mind. Christmas as a child was one of the most exciting days of the year for my siblings and i. Was it because of the gifts? No, NOT at all. It was a day of fun, family and festivity. We worked together to help prepare meals, my mother and vuvo (grandmother)as a ritual -baked "masa" portuguese sweet bread, and portugese songs played all morning as we danced to the music that echoed warmth, joy and unity (until someone got drunk lol)That day was about togetherness. It was a time we got together with aunts, cousins, uncles, grand parents, god parents, family friends - who we were told to call aunty and uncle (lol) and neighbours. There was always an hour or two every year for vuvo (grandma) to have a great childhood story session with tales of back home Christmas. No matter how much wrong we did on this day we never got a beating. Mom and dad were to busy entertaining the guests :-)

So as i sat watching Captain (my baby) filled with excitment as he unwrapped his bike, i felt his joy in my heart and remembered as a child the year Cabbage Patch dolls were the "must have" dolls for every young girl. However my sister and i did not have one. Guess our parents could not afford it, as they would say. Hhmmmm. Right. We went the entire year that year playing with our friends patch dolls and wishing we had one.

That year, Christmas Eve 1983, mom and dad called my sister Sue and i out into the living room and dad asked "what is the name of those dolls you guys always talk about?" and my sister and i, at the same time, yelled out "Cabbage Patch Dolls!" I do not remember what he said next...i only saw him pull out 2 patch dolls from underneath the table. One was a premie and the other was a blonde. I don't know about my sister, but i think my heart stopped beating for a minute or more. When i realized it was real and not a dream, i started screaming with joy and kissed mom and dad about a hudread times before Sue and i ran off to our rooms where we stayed for the next few hours playing with our new toys until the guests arrived.

Later that evening, while we were still on our Cabbage Patch high and showing off to our cousins who could not care less because they already had a FEW, Sue decided to take a taste of the tasty looking stuff in the bottle with the branches at the bottom that taste like licorice, ZAMBUKA! Mom and dad had about 10 bottles of liquor on the dining room table where guests were helping themselves too. To make a long story short Suzie drank half the bottle and almost died that night. All i remember were her words that she could barely let out while she was over the toilet puking her brains out with vuvo holding her hair back "Liz where is my cabbage patch doll?" Yeahhh i know! Crazy

After that night was over, when grandma was over her fear of Sue dying, Sue then got her beating. I knew it was coming. After the beating that morning, we went back to playing with the dolls.

Those are my two Christmas stories.

A Christmas note from D.E.V.A
Today, our lives are becoming hetic and fast. People are so over whelmed in their daily routines that they hardly get time to spend with their friends and family. There is no time for fun. And when we do have fun, we feel guilty. Especially for us moms and dads. Don't make your Christmas this year commercial. Get back to your childhood roots. Play music, dance with your cousins, let the young ones do eachothers make-up, play board games or have a marble competition, bake shaped cookies, pull out the dominos or a deck of cards, and don't let everyone leave. Plan a sleep over. Don't have the space? That's ok, niether did we, BUT make the space. Put the guys in one room and the girls in the other. Or, lay all the blankets down in the living room and slip in a Christmas movie or tell stories all night. Get the children involved too. Don't rush. Relax and enjoy the love in the room.

TIP: Don't wait until the next holiday to get together again. As a matter a fact plan the date before everyone leaves. We need to break this curse that our generation (my age group) started.

What is your Christmas story? Or the one gift you will never forget? Share it here with us!

CLASS Without the CASH

Are you a university student? Lawyer? Sales representative? Wedding Planner? Women's ministry leader? Or maybe even a librarian?
Looking your best does not mean big bucks. You can blend in with the big shots (the rich) on a working woman's budget. Here are some tips.

Shop Vintage

Let me be the first to tell you that two of my favourite jackets were both purchased in a Vintage Store (Kensington Market) They rock for expensive and gently used pieces. Designer items and exclusive one of a kind pieces.

Seasonal Sales

Im highly advising you to get out there and find the sales. I was never one for warehouse sales because i just could not be bothered BUT that has changed lol. When the seasons change, you can buy high end designs at a fraction of the original cost. Register with mailing lists for private warehouse sales. The shoe warehouse sales are the best for your dollar. This past week i bought 12 pairs of shoes for my kids and i for ONLY $145 YES I SAID IT $145. I'm not talking cheap shoes either. Please go check it out for yourself at 907 Oxford Street at Kipling and Evans. The sale will be on until Boxing Day.

Shoes & Bags (Here is the key secret to "class without cash"

A key to looking and feeling rich, wether walking into a board meeting, a date, a court room, or business gathering/interview IS THE SHOES AND HANDBAG!
So PLEASE NO:
*ragged heels
*scuffed heels or toes
*broken zippers
*ripped seams on bags
*dirty stains

Please avoid the imitation bags. You pay $20 to $80 for an imitation bag when you could have taken that money and bought an inexpensive Aldo or H&M bag.
If you want to blend in with the rich, don't do what the rich would not do. No matter how much you want that "Chanel" clutch, don't bother. For those of us who know our product, we will know its a fake. So what's the point? Really.

Three Suits

Be sure to purchase a grey, black and brown suit. They will last a lifetime (be sure to dry clean) Every woman should have at least three in her closet. Again, check Kensington Market or Winners for affordable suits. Don't forget the three dress shirts - White, Brown and Grey. I persoanlly have it in every colour.
Tip: Invest in these shirts with stretch-for a better fit.

Accesories

Know what and when to wear your simple or bold pieces. Do NOT wear a pair of large hip ear rings if you are going for the coorporate office look. Instead, wear a pair of studds. YES i'm def one for BIG & BOLD but know when to wear it.
Very affordable accesories:
*H&M
*Coasta Blanca
*Winners
If you have some extra cash:
*Jacob
*Club Monaco
*Marciano
*Holt Renfrew :-)

If you have any extra tips on "Class Without The Cash" please comment below.

Love on the STREETS

As the topic for this month is "Love”, I decided to write about the place I first found love.

I (Elizabeth) was born and raised on Bleecker Street in St.Jamestown. Next door to Regent Park. Where I made my second home. You might be thinking “love in Regent Park?? How can that be?” There was definitely love, and allot of it.

Although there was a great deal of crime and poverty in Regent Park, there was also a great sense of love not found in the suburbs and other parts of the city. In the “Park” as we all called it, this sense of love did not come from organized community activities, meetings with a neighborhood friend for a morning jog, or coffee at the nearest coffee shop. It came from knowing we were all surviving together, and no ONE person was better or had more then the next person. It came from knowing that kid you met at the playground or schoolyard may have a life just a little worse off than you, and that love also came from respect. Respecting each other’s strength and ability to survive life.

On those streets I learned to LOVE, respect and be LOYAL.

No matter if it was the store owner, police officer, crack dealer, prostitute or the business owner, we recognized and respected everyone. Although I knew a “not so right in the head person when I saw one” I was raised to always say “Hello, good morning, thank you sir/ms…., yes please, excuse me” Which ever was appropriate at the time.

Most days it was the neighborhood criminals that gathered us together at the ice cream truck to treat us to cones, sometimes seconds, or showed up in the park on special days like Christmas or Easter handing out quarters. I saw them as “normal” people. To be honest I, for some reason always took a special liking to the “criminals” as society would call them. They often sat us down at the park benches to speak wisdom and knowledge to us. I never once thought “What do you know?” I saw it as “They had a good mommy and daddy who taught them all this stuff” They had love deep inside and wanted to share it, only there was no one who gave them the time of day, outside of the youth.

Today, I’m 34 years old and still to this date I have never experienced that genuine, deep LOVE I had on the streets as a child growing up. Where I learned to be loyal and do unto others as you wish they do unto you.

I will never forget where I came from and why I’AM THE WOMAN I’AM today. A survivor!
The next time you sit next to a drug addict on a park bench, or walk by a young single mother with 3 crying babies, or a homeless man/woman asking for change, STOP to say hello and smile. That man, woman, boy or girl needs, breaths and desires love just like YOU. They have a story. A story that is worth hearing.

QUICK FACTS

o Regent Park Revitalization is a six-phase, 15-year, $1-billion strategy that will transform Canada's largest publicly funded community into a healthier mixed residential community for 12,500 people in 5,115 units. The first Regent Park tenants move into their new homes in May 2009.

o Phase one of the revitalization will include approximately 640 market condominiums and 340 mixed social housing units in the area bordered by Parliament, Oak, Sackville and Dundas Streets.

o The Daniels Corporation is the developer/partner with Toronto Community Housing for all phases of the revitalization. Daniels oversees the design of the new buildings, will build all the buildings and will also sell the market condominiums.

o Phase one includes a mix of commercial tenants such as Sobeys, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Tim Hortons and Rogers Communications.

o The revitalized Regent Park will be a green community. Lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and energy savings will be achieved by constructing buildings that are energy efficient and environmentally friendly. Regent Park Energy Inc. will operate a district energy system that delivers high efficiency heating and cooling to all buildings in Regent Park.

o 380 households from phase one - about 1,160 residents - were relocated. All residents who are relocated to make way for demolition and construction have the right to return once new buildings are completed. All moving and related costs are paid by Toronto Community Housing.

o Construction on phase one began in 2006. The first new rental buildings will be ready for occupancy this spring and summer, and OneCole, the first condominium, will be ready for move-in this fall.

o Regent Park residents helped shape the phase two plan through a consultation process that began in fall 2008.

o The community will learn more about the phase two rental buildings and timelines through community meetings and newsletters.

D.E.V.A Ladies Present: The Avenue International Warehouse Shoe Sale

Ladies and Gents, Mother's, Fathers & Young Adults,

You DO NOT want to miss this sale!
This is not an email to get you to show up at the front door and still pay $120 for a $200 pair of high quality shoes, sandals, boots and sneakers.

When i say 80% off, i MEAN it.

Ladies come and enjoy CANDY Land (what i call it)

Mom's & Dad's $100+ children's genuine leather shoes and boots all must go for $20


The sale will run for 3 days
Dec 10 & 11 from 3:00pm - 8:00PM / Sat Dec 12 10:00AM - 6:00PM
Location: 907 Oxford Street, Etobicoke
(West of Islington South of gardiner- use Eastwick Street)

Come and enjoy light snacks while you shop for Christmas presents for your entire family & friends.

Please view the attached flyer for details on location, dates and times.
Feel free to call me direct if you have any questions.

Thank you i know i will see you there! trust us (DEVA Ladies) when it comes to FASHION :-)
For more information call:
Elizabeth 647-338-2107 or Vanessa 416-897-9950

If you call or email us directly we will send you a $5 off coupon via email for the sale)
For DEVA bloggers and viewers ONLY.

His Love

We all love “LOVE”. We love the idea of love and the beauty in love. Our children, gifts, nature and the list goes on.

But what is the meaning of LOVE?
We all admit that love is wonderful and necessary, yet no one can agree on what is it or isn’t.

What is the meaning of this loosely, mysterious few letter word that we use to describe everything from food, shoes, partners, mistresses, animals and from desires to passions? How is it that we use the same word to express feelings for all these things as we do for God? To be honest there are times we use the word LOVE more passionately for these desires then we do for the God that we claim to worship.

We can easily describe what it feels like to be loved, but we have trouble explaining what it means to be- loving. Why is this? We believe one of our greatest needs is to be loved, and personally I don’t think we can live happy without it. But unfortunately humans have messed up the true meaning of LOVE. We tend to believe lies about love. That love always comes with great feelings of passion. We don’t want to believe that loving another human is difficult and requires wisdom, knowledge, patience, and skills accompanied with emotion. We tend to make ourselves vulnerable to all types of fake expressions of love.

So how do learn the meaning of this word that has been so misused and abused?

The bible describes love in this passage 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 as
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres”

We all want to experience this kind of love, but no human can and ever will provide it. The only person or place to experience true genuine love is in a relationship with the ONE who created and whose very being defines it. Not only is GOD the true example of love, he is LOVE, and apart from his love none of us could love or be loved
(1 John 4:19)
God loves us with his heart, strength and mind, . Being loved means having someone know us so well and care about us so much that he/she uses all their strength, mind and soul to give us what is good and and what is best for us even before we ask, even when we do not know what it is.
That someone is GOD.

To be complete love must flow in two directions.
God’s call “of” love is paired with his command “to” love.
Ironically, the only way any of us ever find ourselves is to lose ourselves falling in love with GOD, for that is where we find our true selves and who we were meant to be.

Did you know that you can replace the word God in the bible with “LOVE” and the word “love” in the bible with “GOD” because God is love ….and love is - God.

In a letter Paul wrote to the Christians living in Corinth he said “Love never fails” that equals to “God never fails”

Where am I going?
Well we (Vanessa & Liz) know we are going where God leads us. We may not know where that may be, but we LOVE him enough to trust him with our lives. We know he will not lead us astray.
We are both willing to go into the dark places where evil is causing chaos and confusion, where there is NO LOVE.

If we can master loving GOD, then I believe we will become masters of UNDERSTANDING love.

We have attached a video of TD Jakes (One of our favourite) speaking on "Seeking God"

Why am i here?

If you are not a Christian and have heard anything about Christianity, you may have heard much more about the bad then the good. We bet you have heard stories about church money scandals, pastors, betrayal, and the list can go on. But like all influential people and things people do not regularly talk about the life changing testimonies, the survival stories or the lives that have been touched and transformed.

May i remind you what church is all about? It is not a place where you go to hang out for just something to do, or a place to go and find a mate, wear your going out clothes, or watch people, just to be noisy. It is God saying to his children of all cultural backgrounds, addictions, bad habits, all ages and sizes who will for the most part have nothing at all in common except the desire to change and live “Wake up, love one another, be the best you can be and here are the ingredients”

Gods desire for us to be in and serve his kingdom was never suppose to be so difficult and political. But isn’t that life no matter where you go or who you know? There is nothing you or we can do to stop the bad stuff from happening all around us. The church is not exempted. After all isn’t the church a place for the sick? Please do not take this out of context.

Becoming a Christian for us (Elizabeth & Vanessa –DEVA) did not mean we became holy over night or that we claim to be now and it did not make our bad habits disappear or our life stress free. It opened our spiritual eyes (which were closed) to what needed to be fixed, healed and delivered. We were given the wisdom and knowledge we lacked while we were in the world. Our walk is not and will never always be easy, however after trying almost everything else from self-help books, counselling, studying religions and other methods of self healing, there was no other way for us. This was the best decision we have ever made. People will not always understand why you or we have decided to become a man or woman of God, but they will see you carry a sense of satisfaction and joy that was not there before.

Why do we follow Jesus? Why not?

Jesus was and is the greatest teacher. He is best qualified to teach us what life is about and how to live it. Family, business, children, politics, laws, relationships, forgiveness and much more can all be found in his book of life. The Bible. It is ok to think and feel that Jesus thinking and teaching is difficult. His disciples may have felt the same way. In John 6:68 Jesus asked his disciples if they were thinking of leaving him. They replied “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Christians and church is not perfect so do not expect it to be. In all actuality, men and woman of God are attacked everyday by the enemy & temptations. Only we have been given the recipe to defeat them, we don’t always defeat them but we do have the right recipe.

When Steve Harvey sat for an interview with Donnie McClurkin on TBN, he shared a life testimony that brought him to tears. It was clear to us from the video that Steve, like the most of us, is going through something personal. Rich, poor, healthy, sick, famous or homeless, we ALL feel. Nonetheless, it was moving and uplifting to see Steve being so honest and open on the fact that yes he is Steve Harvey but he is still human, and could not have made it through without God. Please take in this moving video.





Sheila E has also become a great inspiration for us. We were both brought up listening to her music and were dedicated fans as teenagers. Please log onto to www.sheilae.com to read Sheila’s life changing testimony on how she hit rock bottom and had to cry out to God for another chance.

James 3:17
Wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all PURE, the PEACE-loving, CONSIDERATE,SUBMISSIVE, FULL of MERCY & GOOD FRUIT, IMPARTIAL and SINCERE.

D.E.V.A in Sway Magazine

Hi Devas,

We've scanned our Sway article for those who were unable to pick up a copy - the article was great, however they made a few mistakes with our name, and upcoming events: D.E.V.A stands for Divine, Exalted, Victorious, Angelic our next event will take place on February 13, 2009 which will target young adults 16-21. Details on this event to follow.

PATENT MAGAZINE AT D.E.V.A DAY!

Brandii from Patent Magazine was present at D.E.V.A Day. Click Here for the interview with Brandii Styles.

Patent @ D.E.V.A

D.E.V.A DAY WAS A SUCCESS!

We would like to thank all our vendors, sponsors, attendees and bloggers. We hit our goal of 200 women for our first event! To God be the glory! Thank you to all our family and friends who supported us. It was truly an amazing event.

xoxo Liz & Vanessa

D.E.V.A Day Brunch EVENT DETAILS

Ladies,

It's been such a busy week - we're working very hard to make this a special event for all of you. As our dedicated readers, we've decided to share the exclusive event details with you, so you know what's happening and when.

Click Here to download the PDF

xoxo Liz & Vanessa

D.E.V.A on Day Time!

We are excited to announce our TV interview with Rogers Daytime this Wednesday! Tune in at 11am on your local Rogers channel. (We will post the video for all our international Devas)

We will discuss the event, D.E.V.A and our partnership with Vita Centre - it's all about giving back to our community. Show some support, and let us know how we do :)

PRODUCT OF THE MONTH: Miss My My Exfoliating Fluid DAY 1

OK so its 12:05 am and I'm about to try Miss.MyMy's exfoliater which contains pure water, AHA, glycolic and lactic acids - all the good stuff lol! Its so hard to believe this is a exfoliator because it has no paricals in it what so ever. Its a pure liquid and clear in color. But we'll see...

12.10 am

Wow ladies. Within 3 seconds of rubbing the product on my face in a circular motion, my dead skin is crumbling up on my face. This cannot be real. I have been playing around with scrubs and exfoliators for over 10 years and have never seen anything like this.





2 minutes later....



I've washed it off. Ok my skin feels like my baby boy's bottom. Soft and silky. I will be recording the results for the next week.

D.E.V.A Day Addition: Analysis in Hair

We are so blessed to announce the addition of Analysis in Hair at the D.E.V.A Day Brunch!

Attendees can sit back and enjoy a full hair style, and receive a 20% discount off your first treatment at Analysis in Hair.
Located in Mississauga Ontario, this multicultural salon specializes in creating and maintaining healthy hair - which we all know is important!

Their team of dedicated professionals offer services that include: skin weft hair extensions (not offered at many salons), barbering, dreadlocks & twists and Miss MyMy lace fronts and weaves.

If you're looking for expert consultation, or advice on how to wrap your hair, visit the Analysis in hair booth at the D.E.V.A Day Brunch. For more information, please visit Analysis in hair

D.E.V.A Day Addition: Miss MyMy

Ladies,

We are proud to announce the following additions to the D.E.V.A Day Brunch: Miss MyMy, Mary Kay, Arbonne, Tingling Counseling Services and Pink Lady Mobile Spa! WOW...it's going to be an amazing event!



We meet the owner of Miss MyMy, Miss Maya King, on Tuesday. From the moment we walked in we thought, WOW, such an amazing space. The showroom was adorned in all white paint and furniture, a private salon area for clients, and life size canvases of Miss MyMy herself.

Miss MyMy specializes in Organic Hair and uses her own shampoos, conditioners and serums. For all the Cityline lovers, Tracey Moore is wearing hair from Miss MyMy! I said to myself the other day, "wow, Tracey's hair looks real good."

Before we left, we were given samples of My's Skin Care Exfoliating Fluid - made up of mostly water, the fluid includes all the necessary ingredients for a gentle, yet effective exfoliation: Glycolic, AHA and Lactic acids. So far, an amazing product. We will post our results (yes, photos of us with no make up!) each day, so please stay tuned for that.



For all our toronto visitors, Miss MyMy is located on 19 Jutland road in Etobicoke. For more information on Miss MyMy and her products/services, please visit: www.missmymy.com

Stay Fabulous!
Liz & Vanessa

D.E.V.A Interview Part I and Part II

Devas,

We've uploaded the interview portion from NIFTY Christian to our blog for your convenience. Have a listen, and don't forget to add your comments. This is our first radio interview...how did we do? Add your reactions below, at the end of the post.





Courtesy of N.I.F.T.Y Christian Radio Show

Thanks!
Liz and Vanessa

D.E.V.A on N.I.F.T.Y Christian Radio Show

Listen to our interview with Nifty and Kay C of N.I.F.T.Y Christian Radio Show on Sunday @10PM !

SWAY PHOTOSHOOT

A few of you ladies have been asking, and we finally received the professional shots from Sway Magazine! We're so excited, and blessed to be given this opportunity, and would like to thank Melissa from knexxion PR, Miesha Robinson, Nicole Stiletto and Ashlea from Revolver Photography for making this all happen!

Don't forget to pick up the October issue of Sway feat. D.E.V.A late September.

xoxo Liz & Vanessa

TYRA'S HAIR

Yesterday Tyra revealed the realness of her hair; no tracks or laces. We all know Tyra is famous for her weaves and lace fronts, and openly admits to wearing them (unlike most celebrities). She looks great, and the D.E.V.A ladies applaud her for breaking down barriers, and encouraging women to love themselves. She's a True D.E.V.A!



As India Arie said, "I am NOT my hair". We as women define who we are by our clothes, hair, luxury cars and coach bags - but we are so much more! Character counts.

Teen D.E.V.A

Hello little Ms.Lady,

It is back to school time and the ladies at D.E.V.A are advising you to keep things simple and classic. Nothing in-your-face or over the top. Be trendy, but don't look like a trend CHASER.

Look out for our "Little D.E.V.A Lady" workshop coming early winter 2010. This is going to be an amazing day for young woman ages 14 - 24 Don't miss it.

Here, we have put together our chosen picks for fall 2009. Enjoy, and remember to ALWAYS believe in the D.E.V.A in you!


Fringe Boots - western and boho looks both benefitted from fringed details this fall



Gloves - not just for freezing cold weather, they are a must have statement necessity



Capes - The floaty capelet matches up with the half gloves.



Heart's Desire - Coach legacy lip gloss charm $58



Mascara - Cover Girl's latest mascara, LashBlast length $7 at a drug store near you.

EXCLUSIVE OFFER

The D.E.V.A Day Brunch is almost a month away - wow, how time flies. We have an exclusive offer for our newsletter subscribers:

Step 1: purchase your ticket at devainyou.myevent.com
Step 2: e-mail me (info@devainyou.com) your friend's full name, and e-mail address
Step 3: a discounted invoice will be sent to your lucky friend!

*offer is only valid for advanced tickets (purchased before October 3, 2009) only.

We're 50% sold ladies - this event WILL SELL OUT.

Purchase your tickets at devainyou.myevent.com or purchase a ticket from the D.E.V.A Ladies:

Liz - 647.338.2107
Vanessa - 416.897.9950

WINKS EYELASH BOUTIQUE

UPDATE!

We are proud to announce our partnership with Winks Eyelash Boutique!

Winks has become an official vendor of the D.E.V.A Day Brunch - Winks is the first salon in Toronto to offer semi permanent eyelash extensions. They do an amazing job ladies; these lashes last for months!

Celebrities Eva Longoria, Penelope Cruz and Victoria Beckham have all been spotted wearing fake lashes. Come out to the D.E.V.A Day Brunch and get your lashes did!

Purchase your tickets now!

See some before and after photos of their amazing work:

BEHIND THE SCENES: SWAY PHOTOSHOOT

Today, we had our first photoshoot for a magazine! D.E.V.A Day Brunch sponsor, Sway Magazine, was at the D.E.V.A headquaters in Brampton. Huge thanks to Nicole Stiletto and Miesha Robinson for hair and make up. We couldn't wait to share our experience with you...check out some photos we took before and after the shoot.

Stay tuned for our article in the October issue of Sway magazine, and portraits from the photoshoot.

Oh Dina! and D.E.V.A

Yesterday we met with the fabulous ladies behind Oh Dina! who is also one of our vendors. Ladies, you truly are a breath of fresh air!

Purchase your tickets NOW for the D.E.V.A Day Brunch - Oh Dina! will put on an amazing fashion show, you won't want to miss...trust me!

Check out their pieces here: Oh Dina!

inspiring D.E.V.A's: Quote of the Day

Good afternoon D.E.V.A's - you know Oprah is one of my many inspirations. I enjoyed her article on Power, and decided to share it with you beautiful women. Multiplied strength = Power YES!

Stay Golden.



"For me, there is no real power without spiritual power. A power that comes from the core of who you are and reflects all that you were meant to be. A power that's connected to the source of things. When you see this kind of power shining through someone in all its truth and certainty, it's irresistible, inspiring, elevating. I can feel it in myself sometimes, mostly when I'm sharing an insight that I know will have an impact on someone's life and I can see that they "get it." I get real joy from helping other people experience aha moments. That is where my power lies." read more

Meet the D.E.V.A Ladies Thursday August 13th!

Yesterday was a SUCCESS. We had the pleasure of meeting all our vendors, and they got to see the faces behind D.E.V.A and knexxion inc.

Attendees included good friend Tricia Trotter of mortgagebrokers.com, Nicola from Ola Finesse Jewelry, Adwoa from Arm Candy Casa (love your drive mami!) and Dorothy from Xocai healthy chocolate.

The night was progressive and fun. Take a look at the photos below.

If you're interested in becoming a sponsor, or vendor for the D.E.V.A Day Brunch please contact our marketing manager Melissa Cordelia

D.E.V.A Day Brunch!

Ladies, this is the event of the year - come out and enjoy a full day catered to YOU. Tickets can be purchased at www.devainyou.myevent.com or click the Support D.E.V.A link on the blog to send your funds directly through PayPal.

This event will sell out! We'll see you there:

xoxo Liz & Vanessa

Meet the D.E.V.A Ladies Thursday August 13th!

Vendors/Sponsors:

Thank you so much for being apart of the D.E.V.A Day Brunch. We would love to meet with you, and also provide you with your branded flyers and five tickets for sale.

Come out and meet the women behind D.E.V.A on Thursday August 13th from 6.30pm - 9.30pm. Enjoy complimentary coffee, tea and pastries at Starbucks Exchange Tower on King.

Please RSVP by Friday August 7th. http://tinyurl.com/lmc3wj

Regards,
Elizabeth and Vanessa

inspiring D.E.V.A's: Quote of the Day

When the smallest positive things happen to you in life, receive them like the biggest blessing from God. - MJB

Quote of the Day

Don't take it personal when a person points out all your flaws, just take it easy on yourself. You're not the problem.

What Is A D.E.V.A?

A D.E.V.A is a victorious woman that is working to change the world around her. She is beautiful, intelligent, God fearing, kind, giving, loving, compassionate, confident and strong. A D.E.V.A is that woman that we all try to not notice, but secretly admire.

A D.E.V.A stays on her chosen path.

She cleans, cooks, reads, writes poetry, paints, dances, teaches, raises her family, most importantly she LOVES.

She creates, inspires, dreams, dares, and is filled with inner joy. She holds a unique sense of wisdom that brings her through any and all struggles. She inspires all women to search deep to bring forth that gift we were all born to fulfill.

A D.E.V.A walks in the path of freedom.

She has serious life experiences behind her. She is secure in who she is, and knows what she has to offer. D.E.V.A's see magic, forgiveness, beauty, and reasoning in all things. However, a D.E.V.A is not one to play with. She will go to the extremes for her loved ones. She adores her children & family, her spouse or partner. She loves forever. Her friendships and relationships are pure and abiding.

She does not require assurance or validation from others to feel good about herself. however, she does enjoy praises.

She is experienced enough to have experienced her share of pain. The pain of friendships, marriage, relationships and life.

A D.E.V.A perceives her life as a blessing.

She has zero tolerance for liars, users, manipulators, phonies and those who have no fear of God. A D.E.V.A lady demands attention in her presence. She is strong, pro-active, and listened to when she speaks. She is respected.

A D.E.V.A understands her past. It does not hold her in bondage. Her faith is SOLID.

She finds joy in the smallest things. A card, a rose, a sweet email, very few spoken words, sitting in a quiet room alone, the look in a baby's eyes, the gentle sound of flowing water, or a soft kiss on her forehead.

A D.E.V.A speaks her mind, always.

She is private.

She is a mystery.

A D.E.V.A has required some relative co nations, and it is also used to sometimes describe difficult women or women who have inflated themselves. This is unfortunate, as highly talented females deserve credit for their hard work and natural ability.

The term DIVA is taken from the Latin DIVA, which means goddess or divine one. The use of of the term is meant to suggest that a woman is so incredibly talented that her voice approaches the divine.

DIVAS have historically acquired huge numbers of fans, and their talent and spirit is often in high demand.

Web Definition of DIVA =

Prima donna, a distinguished female, operatic singer, a woman of outstanding talent.

My definition of D.E.V.A =

Victorious woman, survivor, passionate, alchemistic and rare.

Are YOU a D.E.V.A?