Happy Thanksgiving!

Have a wonderful holiday - I'm so thankful for so much.

Laughing, for one:

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Enjoy, everyone!

Reader Recreation: Thanksgiving Decor

My bestie Emily sent me a quick text the other day that made me grin so wide I just have to share.

Remember this round up of Pinterest-found ideas for Thanksgiving decor? Well, Emily decided to try her hand at one and look how cute:

I especially love the floral touch of those spiky white dahlias. Perfect to offset the green veggies! It's so fun to see these ideas we see and pin or take note of come to life in such a real way. Makes it more approachable, no? Thanks Em!

T1D Tuesday: Amazing Advancements

For the month of November I'm putting my Monday 'Random Round Up' on hiatus, instead focusing on November being Diabetes Awareness Month. "T1D Tuesday" will hopefully shed a little light on Type 1 Diabetes. Learn, enjoy, and if you can, support JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). Donate specifically to my cousin Ella's efforts at www2.jdrf.org, and search "Team Ella" in Minnesota.

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I've talked before about the incredible research being done to craft an artificial pancreas for those with Type 1 Diabetes, which would render shots and glucose checks basically obsolete. Research is being done every day, and if you've donated to JDRF, you've contributed.

Pat on the back for you!

I thought this article on pump development was particularly interesting, and while I encourage you to read the whole thing, I'm wanted to share a snippet of what I think is the most exciting and fascinating part:

"People with T1D are burdened with constantly having to determine the right amount of insulin to dose at the right time. Yet even with diligent monitoring, people with T1D spend a significant portion of the day with either high or low blood sugar, placing them at risk for devastating long-term complications from hyperglycemia or traumas from hypoglycemia. Artificial pancreas systems will be external devices that help people with T1D do what their bodies cannot-automatically control their blood sugar around the clock. They will work by combining an insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), which provides glucose readings every 1-5 minutes, with sophisticated computer software that allows the two devices to automatically communicate to determine and provide the right amount of insulin at the right time.

Today, artificial pancreas systems are being tested that automate some insulin delivery. In the future, the goal is to restore the balance of other hormones, in addition to insulin, that are missing or out of balance in people with T1D. The dual-chamber infusion pump being developed by Tandem may help restore the missing hormonal balance in T1D, and will help evolve the artificial pancreas to the next generation of devices that will more closely mimic the function of a healthy human pancreas."

Is that not incredible?! And don't you want that for this face?

Ella

Unbelievably, we've already reached the last Tuesday in November - National Diabetes Awareness Month. Thanks for truckin' along with me - Hopefully you've learned a thing or two, and my dearest wish is that it's inspired you to take some form of action: Donate. Write a lawmaker. Post a Facebook status. Tweet an article link. Sign up for a walk. A cure is so close you can practically taste it... And it's as sweet as sugar glucose.


In the Seattle area this time of year? Head straight for The Sheraton and the 21st Annual Gingerbread Village benefiting the local chapter of JDRF. Amazing works of edible art to get you in the holiday spirit for a fabulous cause! (Seriously, check out these pictures of last year.)

Helter Skelter

This little blog o'mine has been all over the place this month, and I know it. Come November, I tend to get excited about the holidays, and instead of working on projects, my brain is constantly a-whirl with gift buying and plans to see family and friends.

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So forgive the random days and lack of creative content - Hoping I'll have some time this weekend to work on a few things. Happy Friday eve!

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T1D Tuesday: Walk a Mile in His Shoes

 For the month of November I'm putting my Monday 'Random Round Up' on hiatus, instead focusing on November being Diabetes Awareness Month. "T1D Tuesday" will hopefully shed a little light on Type 1 Diabetes. Learn, enjoy, and if you can, support JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation).

Donate specifically to my cousin Ella's efforts at www2.jdrf.org, and search "Team Ella" in Minnesota.

Last week I told you about T1D For A Day, where upon signing up, professional snowboarder and Type 1 Diabetic Sean Busby would send you 24 hours worth of texts, allowing participants to get a tiny taste of what it's like to live with diabetes every day.

Sean and his wife Mollie - He texted this photo during my 24 hours!

For those of you who don't text or haven't yet signed up (you can do it anytime in November, so get on it!), I thought I'd share a little of my experience. Spoiler alert: It was pretty eye-opening.

How it all starts - So simple!

Every bite has to be thought about.

No rest for the weary - T1D doesn't take a break.

I hope you'll take advantage of this opportunity - I feel like I got to know Sean (he even sent out a picture of his dog at one point), and I was actually kind of sad when I got my "the end" notice. A fascinating way to walk a mile in Sean's shoes and all of those who deal with T1D on a daily basis.

Want to learn more about what you can do? Visit advocacy.jdrf.org or to keep in the theme, text ACTION to 37420 to receive Action Alert emails and other communications regarding the Special Diabetes Program (SDP). There's super important legislation in the works all the time to get funding to cure Type 1 Diabetes. Be a part of it - They make it mind-blowingly easy. Five minutes of filling out a form letter can have a massive impact. Go!

Brain Power

There have been a few fun research-based quizzes floating around my Facebook feed the last week or so, and I was surprised by my results on some I've taken. Namely, a 30 second quiz to determine if you're more right-brained or left-brained.

Since I have a pretty creative nature, I thought I'd show right-brained hands down. But check out my results:

Did you take the quiz? What was your outcome?

I also enjoyed this quiz that determines what American accent you have. Get ready to sound like a crazy person saying words aloud over and over (please tell me that's not just me...). I ended up with Midland, but in the 93% range for The West. I'd say pretty accurate, being that I'm Washington born and bred.

I love these quick and interesting little quizzes. Hope you enjoy 'em too.

Pretty Thankful

Do you decorate for Thanksgiving? We're not hosting this year, but all the pretty things I've been seeing roll through my Pinterest feed lately have got me thinking I might pretty things up around here just to get in the spirit.

Here are a few of my recent faves, and links to the source and/or how-to below each image:

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Pretty painted pumpkins or gourds: Cut painters tape into geometric shapes, stick on, and spray paint! Short on time? Grab some ModPodge and wrapping paper or thin cotton fabric and glue, baby, glue.

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Hitting the grocery store for Turkey Day staples? Grab a few extra handfuls of green beans, asparagus or artichoke and decorate those pillar candles you have hanging around. A piece of double-sided tape might help the beans and asparagus stay upright until you can get the ribbon tied.

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A chain of thankfulness - Each link a scrap of paper with something you and your family are thankful for. Some pretty ribbon and a Command hook or two, and you've got meaningful decor.

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Break out that strand of white Christmas lights a few weeks early and use a little wire or thread to tie on some leaves - Grab 'em from the backyard or pick up a stem of good fakes and clip them apart.

I love, love, LOVE Christmas, but I'm one of those who really feels like Thanksgiving should have it's moment. Let's celebrate!

T1D Tuesday: A Day In The Life

For the month of November I'm putting my Monday 'Random Round Up' on hiatus, instead focusing on November being Diabetes Awareness Month. "T1D Tuesday" will hopefully shed a little light on Type 1 Diabetes. Learn, enjoy, and if you can, support JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation).
Donate specifically to my cousin Ella's efforts at www2.jdrf.org, and search "Team Ella" in Minnesota.

 Sure, everyone has heard of diabetes. You may know that people who have it need shots of insulin, or even that the disease affects the pancreas. But do you really know what a diabetic deals with on a day to day basis?

Professional snowboarder Sean Busby does, and he's teamed up with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to give folks a little more insight. A play-by-play, day-in-the-life experience, right in the palm of your hand.
About one hour after you text T1D4ADAY to 63566, you'll start getting texts from Sean for 24 hours, letting you see firsthand how he tries to maintain a balanced life dealing with his Type 1 diabetes. You can even talk about your experience and see that of others who've accepted the challenge by using or searching #T14aDay on Twitter and other social media outlets.

I started this morning. Join me!


Extra Scoop:
Participation in T1D for a Day is free of charge. (You may receive up to 45 messages.)
Message and Data Rates May Apply.
Text Stop to 63566 to Unsubscribe.
Text Help to 63566 for Help.
Mobile Terms and Conditions at www.protexting.com/T1D4ADAY.html

HOWLoween TwentyThirteen

This should have gone up on the actual date of Halloween, but I think I was still laughing too hard from the photo shoot. Hope everyone had a wonderful, treat-filled holiday last week!

Create a picture collage

Two Minutes.

You have two minutes.

You do.

Now that you've read this, you have, let's say, a minute and 57 seconds left. Here's how you fill it:

And now that you've seen that (made by Ella's amazing mom, I might add), you'll be wanting to spend five minutes to donate to her cause. Click here to be taken right to the page to make your tax deductible donation for a cure.* On the anniversary day of her diagnosis, it's only right.

For Ella, for all.
And truly, thank you.


*Trouble with the link? Head to www2.jdrf.org and type Team Ella in the 'Team Name' box and choose Minnesota for the state. That will take you right to her link.

Random Round Up: Orange

Fall is all about embracing the orange:

Find-A-Puggle

Pumpkin doughnut taste testing (yeah, they're ALL pumpkin!)

Neon trees on our street.

The extent of my door-answering Halloween costume.

 And totally not falling into the orange category, but my former place of employment and much beloved Laura Bee Designs hosted it's eleven year(!!!) anniversary party this past weekend. I was lucky enough to get to come back and help out, and as always, SO. MUCH. FUN. Three cheers for getting some Christmas shopping done early too!

Have a happy week, everybody.

Two Cool Stools

The stars aligned, the angels sang, and light shone down from the heavens... Right onto HomeGoods.

Have you been in one? They're great, but pretty hit or miss. It's not like you're going to walk in and find a really specific thing you're looking for... Or are you...! We had a list of 5 places to go hunting for barstools to go with our new table, and this was the criteria:

Comfortable.

Not backless. 

Sturdy.

Stylistically compatible with the table.

We marched into our first stop - HomeGoods - got distracted by the pretty things browsed for a minute, and bam: Two perfect stools. They were like a tractor beam, I tell ya, and Nate and I gravitated right to 'em.

The only thing neither of us were crazy about was the cream pleather seats. But a quick flip-over in the store showed just 4 small screws holding the seat on, and I knew I could recover them pretty easily. Check it out:

This fabric is a little too classical for me, but I knew in small amounts it'd be just the thing.

Yellow for the kitchen, chestnut for the stools, black for the table.

I mentioned there were 4 small screws holding the seat in place... You'll just have to take my word for it since I failed to take photos (tricky to hold a stool, a screwdriver, and a camera... where is that third arm when you need it?!). But literally within 2 minutes, off came the seat and I had this:

Seat-free!

Centered, and traced with a few extra inches to wrap around.

Trusty staple gun - Staple, flip, done!

Tada!!

This is one stellar find and easy mini-makeover that equaled out to a pretty huge dining room upgrade. I'm in love.

One done...

...And two. Woohoo!