If there is some cheerful news on the topic, death rates from Breast Cancer have declined significantly in the past decade by almost 2% per year. I am very sorry for those who have lost loved ones - and the statistics continue to be alarming that on average every day 62 Canadian women are diagnosed with breast cancer. But again thinking positively, awareness seems to be helping as when breast cancer is caught in its earliest stages, the five-year survival rate for women ages 20-39 is close to 90%.

To learn about some key things about breast cancer prevention and diagnosis, I consulted with Rethink Breast Cancer for some insights. Definitely worth checking out their website, but here is a brief overview of some interesting insights that I learned:

• The occurrence of breast cancer varies about five-fold among countries.
• Canada and the U.S. are considered high-risk countries, while Japan and China are low risk.
• Migrants eventually acquire the risk of their adopted country.
• Evidence shows that increased estrogen levels increase your risk of developing breast cancer.
• More than moderate alcohol consumption may raise estrogen in the blood.
• Obesity with excess caloric and fat intake may raise estrogen levels.
• Meat may raise estrogen levels and be a potential source of gene mutagens.
• It is debated whether taking birth control does increase your risk, or not.

I have never been a lover of polka-dots. Show me stripes and I am all in, but something about polka dots intimidate me!

Lately, dots are everywhere, from Marc Jacob's new scent "The Dot" to the spotty 2013 ensembles from Diane Von Furstenberg, Jason Wu and Jenny Packham. So to add a dash of dots to my own wardrobe, a few weeks ago I picked up these dotted darlings from the new Ann Taylor store just opened in the Toronto Eaton Centre.

More virtual communities sprout up every week, and among the most fun and interactive are social fashion websites. The next few weeks I will review 3 of my favorites, starting today with Chicisimo.

How it works is that you create your own account - here is the link to my Chicisimo profile - and upload photos wearing your favorite outfits. In the photos are 5 of my most popular outfits on Chicisimo, and you can click on each photo to see the relative popularity of each one!

Hello Darlings,

I've used Lancome skin care and make-up on and off since my teens. Recently, I've fallen in love with their Lancome Rénergie Eye Multiple Action Eye Cream and just wanted to share it with you. This 2 step cream is not only an amazing eye cream but also a concealer.