close to the heart

the recent BP oil spill has hit close to home to me. well, close to my heart.

i spent all of my life visiting the florida panhandle and it's prestine white beaches. my grandparents live in pensacola and many of my childhood memories involve family trips to that wonderful city. and to think that the oil is ravaging those beaches feels like a punch to the gut.

it breaks my heart in to a billion pieces to hear about this manmade disaster. the gulf coast beaches are supported by the tourism industry and to know that so many people will be canceling their plans to vacation elsewhere will be a major hit to the economy and people of our gulf coast.

i read an article the other day {that i can't find now...dang it} that talked about ways to help. unfortunately, since it is a toxic waste that needs to be cleaned up, one has to be specially trained to help clear the beaches. but the article did give one huge way to help. visit. she encouraged people to keep their vacation plans to the gulf. go support the people and businesses there. go to your favorite beach haunts and support them like you would without the impending oil spill disaster. i couldn't agree more.

in a time where all we hear of is how bad the oil spill is and how much it is destroying the environment, i have felt so helpless. but we can all definitely do our part....but not canceling vacations. by visiting our favorite cities in the gulf and supporting our neighbors down there who are feeling the effects of the oil spill everyday.

my family and i are visiting in august. i know by then, the beaches will be worse. we won't be able to walk along the beach and we won't be swimming in the ocean. but we will be vacationing, relaxing and supporting our beloved city. and i would encourage you to do the same.

i have found two other ways to help and i just love both of these ideas. one etsy artist is donating 100% of her sales from one of her photos to help the gulf.

and one of my favorite girls who designs stationery is helping too.

so my sweets, whether you take a vacation to your favorite gulf city or buy a photo or stationery, i would encourage you to help where you can. because our favorite gulf cities will be hurting this summer. lets help our neighbors.

a few other links to find out how to help:
nature squad | visit south | volunteer louisiana | volunteer florida