Children’s Hospitals & Clinics of Minnesota Wins International Award for Therapeutic Art Program!

Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota received the top international award for “Use of Art in the Patient Environment” from the International Academy of Design and Health for its program “Arts & Healing and Urban Renewal.”

The Minnesota healing arts program was selected out of almost 100 submissions from organizations representing more than 30 countries around the world. The award honors organizations specifically for professional excellence and ability to bring research and design into creating a health-promoting environment.

Children’s Arts & Healing and Urban Renewal project, which was launched in January 2010, has been entirely supported through the generosity of the community, through individual, corporate and government grants. The program has been well received by patients and families with 80 percent indicating in a survey that they stop and personally interact with the art. In addition, for children participating in the hands-on art projects, 41 percent said they felt better after the project.

“A growing body of evidence suggests the integration of arts positively contributes to health outcomes and the health care experience for patients, families and staff,” said Theresa Pesch, RN, executive director, Children’s Foundation, and VP, Development, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. “We believe that the experience of art is healing and designed an integrated program where our patients and families can view and interact with art, make art and watch live performances.”  

http://www.childrensmn.org/starrynight/about-the-event/art-award

I am so proud of Minnesota for being a leader in the field of art-based therapy. In order to continue growing this fantastic program, I have been asked to help co-anchor a live children’s television show broadcasted throughout the hospital! I am so excited and cannot wait to get going on this project and bring a little love, light and laughter to these young patients.

Art Heals!

Krista Wanous

Miss International 2012  

Bayila Jewellery

Bayila Jewellery

Bayila Jewellery named after Norwegian goddess, was founded and developed by me. It combines western and eastern vision of beauty and joins them in to great designs.

“After I had arrived to Hong Kong I discovered a huge variety of high fashion jewellery of great designers, unfortunately unaffordable for an average woman. That made me desire to look fashionable yet elegant, but
for affordable price. So I started designing and making jewellery for myself. It immediately got appreciated. Then I decided to launch my first collection that was sold to the last bit. That was how Bayila was born.”

Now Bayila jewellery offers high fashion, handmade jewellery out of the highest quality materials, such as Swarovski crystals and rhinestones, glass faceted beads, sophisticated gemstones and high quality chains
(lead and nickel free).

You can also make a custom order and we come up together with a fantastic and certainly unique designs.
BAY I L A . C O M

Jessica Alba for Sunday Times

Fashion models photo. Jessica Alba for Sunday Times magazine 

Eric Guillemin captures gorgeous Jessica Alba for the magazine Sunday Times.

Beautiful Jessica Alba for Sunday Times magazine 

Sweet Home Alabama

At this point, most of you know just about everything there is to know about me! You have unofficially met my family, learned about my platform and hobbies, and even gotten to attend a few family holidays and vacations. However, it occurred to me that some of you may not know much about the beautiful state that I represented at the 2012 Miss Teen International pageant.

My favorite thing about competing in the International system was learning about all of the different cultures that were represented. We all had different cultural backgrounds, yet we all united for one cause…to make the world a better place! It is so amazing that so many powerful young women exist in all corners of the world!

So, I think this is the perfect opportunity to teach you all about the state that I have lived in my entire life! Listed are a few “fun facts” you most likely did not know about the beautiful state of Alabama!

1. Actresses Debby Ryan (Disney Channel) and Courteney Cox (Friends) were both born in Alabama.

2. Alabama is currently the 23rd largest state in the country. My hometown, Dothan, Alabama, is the seventh largest city in Alabama.

3. The University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide football team is the current National Championship winning team. To date, they have won 15 National Championship titles.

4. Peanuts are the primary cash crop grown in Alabama. We celebrate with the National Peanut Festival held every year in October! In 2000, I was featured on an episode of “Festivals Around the World” on the Food Network that featured the 2000 National Peanut Festival.

5. The first space shuttle to put humans on the moon was built in Huntsville, Alabama.

6. My hometown also has the most restaurants, per capita, in the ENTIRE United States!

7. In Shelby County, Alabama, a group of contractors and homebuilders broke the record for the world’s fasting building of a Habitat for Humanity home. They built the family’s house in an astounding 3 hours and 26 minutes!

8. In Scottsboro, Alabama, a company named Unclaimed Baggage Center purchases unclaimed baggage from airlines across the nation.

9. The Travel Channel’s show, Monumental Mysteries, featured Enterprise, Alabama’s boll weevil monument. The monument was built after the boll weevil destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland because at the time, no pesticide had been created that was effective against the insect.

10. Heather Whitestone, one of the most influential “pageant girls” to have ever walked a stage, was born in Alabama. Although she was deaf, Heather danced on pointe during the talent portion of competition.

I hope that all of the ladies competing at the 2013 Miss International pageant take the time to learn about your fellow contestants. You will be amazed at how cultures differ across the world!

Love,

Caroline