EDONAdesigns

Questions, a light bulb and a sense of guilt.

2011-06-09T11:38:00.005-04:00

Why don't I question myself?
Why don't I realize when something is really wrong?
Why do I try to believe I'm invincible at times?
Why do I let my blood run in the 200-300's and NOT question?
Why do I not realize that a pump change would be a wise idea?

I changed my pump Monday morning.
My sugars Monday and Tuesday were "normal"
... 74, 129, 79, 125 etc...
I ate Sushi for lunch on Tuesday.
I ALWAYS eat Sushi for lunch on Tuesday.
All of a sudden Tuesday night my blood shot up to 331.
What?
Okay, so I had a different style of Sushi on Tuesday.
I had a Rainbow Tiger Roll vs. the normal Tuna Avocado roll.
But, really? 331?
I did a corrective bolus and went to bed.
Problem solved, right?

I woke up Wednesday with a 255 fasting.
Wow.
BIG Bolus.
The day continued on... 141 (I see progress)
...164, 277, 336, 325, 276, 227...
You would think that at SOME point I would have decided a pump change was in order, right?
Well, I did think about it.
Seriously considered it actually.
But, by the evening I decided I'd bolused enough that I'd be down by morning.
Nope.
251 was my fasting number today.

Finally the light bulb goes on in my sugar-coated fuzzy brain!PUMP CHANGE!

In 40 minutes I went from 224 to 98.

Sometimes I really wish I'd listen to myself.
I knew I needed to change the pump.
I hate being over 200, much less anywhere near 300.
It happens.
It shouldn't happen.
But it can happen.

I tend to let the guilt in when I do things like this.
I did realize there was a problem yesterday.
I thought about going home at lunch to change the pump.
I considered changing it before the 7pm stamp camp when I was high at dinner.
I almost changed it before bed.

In the end, I spent ALL day Wednesday "High".
I taught a stamp camp class with a blood average of 300.
I got through it.
I felt crappy, but I got through it.
I think tonight's class will be much more successful
...and less stressful.

And, today I'm going to see my endo, Dr. Mary, for my 3-mth. visit.
I'll find out where my A1c is....
I'll have to share my pump failure story...

There are days when I really do not like being diabetic.
Today is one of them.

BUSY and a perfect 100!

2011-06-07T11:06:00.007-04:00

I disappeared for 3 weeks.
I've been busy.
Many changes at our home.
Some good.
Some not-so-good.
Here are photos of a few...

We lost Sassy.
RIP baby girl.
June 1999 - May 5, 2011

May 21, 2011 I celebrated my 39th D-versary in NYC with a group of Type 1's.
Yes, I've been a Type 1 Diabetic for 39 years.
I find that hard to believe!

I'm taking an amazing course with Christy Tomlinson.
3 Hearts Workshop is such fun and so relaxing!
Love her style.
Love her sense of abandon!

Additionally...
We did an office-makeover-on-a-budget and I'M THRILLED!
We bought new sofas for the family room.
Ruby had surgery.
Like I said...I've been busy.

BUT, in the midst of all the chaos...
I did have one blood sugar that made me smile.
I get LOTS of "ish" numbers...125, 79, 129, 74, 203, 98, 62...
Numbers that are 50-ish, 100-ish or 200-ish.
BUT, I had a "100".
A PERFECT 100.
Love that!

The most AWESOME thing I ever did because of Diabetes was TRAVEL!

2011-05-16T17:05:00.003-04:00

The most awesome thing I ever did because of Diabetes was travel.

My parents decided that it was best to teach my brother and I (both Type 1) that nothing would or could stand in our way. They chose to do this by showing us the world.

From the time we were infants we traveled, but the fun intensified in 1982. We spent every summer going somewhere "exotic".

These are just a few "highlights".
1982 - I turned 13 in Botswana. We traveled to Botswana, Kenya and South Africa for a month.
1984 - we went around the world in 55 days. Countless countries! I turned 15 in Rome, Italy.
1989 - Antarctica. We spent Christmas and New Year's in Antarctica.

I owe the world to my parents for showing it to us! You've made me a better, "more adaptable" person. Thank you mom and dad!

10 Things I HATE about Diabetes

2011-05-12T15:00:00.000-04:00

The topic for today is Ten things I hate about you, Diabetes - Thursday 5/12

Having a positive attitude is important . . . but let’s face it, diabetes isn’t all sunshine and roses (or glitter and unicorns, for that matter). So today let’s vent by listing ten things about diabetes that we hate. Make them funny, make them sarcastic, make them serious, make them anything you want them to be!!

I spent the morning wondering what to write about. I do hate things about diabetes, but don't we all? Mine are not unusual. I tried and tried to write, but could not make sense of any of it.

I went home for lunch and created this:
Trying to get passionate about my anger I started with red dots. Red made me think of a bull...angry. As I created the layers... red dots, red leaves, black circles, eggplant circles, etc... I kept jotting down the "hates" on post-it notes imagining I would incorporate my notes as images into the piece, but I finally decided that the hate was right there on the post-it notes, so I added them into the piece.

The post it notes read:

10 Things I Hate About Diabetes
1. Rash from Tape
2. Gushers w/Pump Removal
3. Inconsistency
4. Fear you give my kids
5. Pump changes
6. Not being able to eat what I want when I want it!
7. Having to Bolus for coffee and normally forgetting!
8. All the extra baggage to travel or just go anywhere
9. You make me different and people don't understand!
10. The COST!

For the most part (90% of the time) I don't hate diabetes. I've learned to adapt to it, from it and for it. But, there are those moments where I do hate things about it. Glad I was able to get some of that anger onto paper today!

Thanks for looking!
Erin

Diabetes Bloopers... getting high and shootin' up!

2011-05-11T11:24:00.003-04:00

Diabetes Bloopers for Day 3 of D-blog week.

Today’s topic is Diabetes Bloopers. Karen wrote: “Whether you or your loved one are newly diagnosed or have been dealing with diabetes for a while, you probably realize that things can (and will) go wrong. But sometimes the things that go wrong aren’t stressful - instead sometimes they are downright funny!”

I have to admit that my life with “D” is not funny. I take it quite seriously and do everything in my power to control it, but these are two stories that are funny to me…

“HIGH”

My son had a friend over one Saturday a few months back. They were in his room playing and I was busy cleaning the house, doing laundry, the normal “mommy” stuff.

The boys were getting loud and throwing things in his room so I went to the door and told them that they better settle down.

Being 12 my son did the whole “oh, Mom” (with that exasperated “YOU ARE SO NOT COOL, MOM” tone).

I screamed at them and told them I was serious. He looked at me and said “Mom, are you high?”

My son was referring to my blood sugar level.

My son later told me that when I left the room his friend said “dude, does your mom smoke pot?”

Shootin’ Up!

1987. I was out to dinner with some friends in the next town over. We were at a very fancy restaurant and I was wearing a BIG green Laura Ashley dress. These photos give an idea of what the dress looked like….

This is me in 1987 ... similar style dress, but on this particular night it was green like the one below:

The skirt of the dress I was wearing on this particular night was BIG!

Just before dinner my friend and I went into the restroom so I could inject my insulin (REG and NPH) with a syringe.

I was standing in front of the sink and had the BIG skirt hiked up and my leg exposed. I was about to shoot up when an elderly patron of the restaurant walked into the restroom just in time to see me standing there with my dress hiked up and the needle in my hand.

My friend burst out laughing as the woman turned and stormed out of the restroom.

A few moments later one of the wait staff came in “just to check” and we had to explain that I was diabetic and that everything was on the up and up. No, we were not doing drugs or “shooting up”. You see, that elderly woman had gone straight to the manager (a man) to complain that some young teen was in the restroom doing drugs. The manager sent a female waitress into the room to make sure he didn’t need to call the cops. Oh boy.

So, as I started... my life with diabetes is not normally funny. There are more moments that have been scary, frightening and just plain serious, but I guess it's good to find humor in some of it!

2011-05-10T09:56:00.003-04:00

Day 2 of Diabetes Blog Week. Today's topic: Letter Writing Day.

Dear “D”-

I’ve contacted my lawyers and the divorce papers are in the mail. For the time being I’d like a trial separation.

Love,

RESPONSE:

Dear Me-

We’ve been through this before.

I’m not leaving.

I love you.

You are my everything.

Without you, I’m nothing.

I will not sign the divorce papers. Ever. No trial separation. It’s you and me baby. Through the highs and lows. And, if you want a vacation…let’s go! But please do not forget the test strips.

Love,

“D”

NOTE: "D" and I've been through this before. I try to make him understand that I'm done with him, but "D" just won't leave so I've learned to adapt (MY D-WORD) and I continue on. He's in it for the long haul!

Admiring our differences in the DOC (Diabetes Online Community)

2011-05-09T12:22:00.003-04:00

I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes May 21, 1972. My brother was diagnosed in June of 1974. We grew up learning about our diabetes together. There was no DOC (Diabetes Online Community). When we had a question, we’d go to our parents or our doctors. About 3 years ago there was one question that I didn’t think my brother or our parents would be able to answer without firsthand experience: “How do you hide an insulin pump in a dress?”

You see, I was going to a friend’s wedding and I couldn’t figure out where to hide my insulin pump in my dress. Granted, I’d been pumping for 10 years and had worn this particular dress once before, but I was unhappy with how I’d hidden the pump on that previous occasion. So, I googled “insulin pump hidden in dress” and found Kerri. Kerri of Six Until Me or S.U.M. Her blog was right there at the top of the list and in bold letters was insulin pump, hidden in my wedding dress (SCORE!):

I opened the blog and started to read. Then I read more. I clicked. I read. I clicked some more and before I knew it I had entered a world I never knew existed. There was a whole world of Diabetics, just like me, out there. I wanted to be a part of it all. So, I joined. I subscribed to follow Kerri. From Kerri’s blog I found TuDiabetes.org and I joined and then… I lurked. For the majority of the past 3 years I’ve been a lurker; I read. I blog hop. I “lurk”. In the past few months I’ve come to realize that my lifetime as a Type 1 has given me a lot to offer others. I have “lifetime experience” and while my experiences may differ from someone else’s I do know they just might help someone. So, I’ve decided to share.

Kerri has been my inspiration. It was HER blog that opened the doors to this world for me. She writes about her life with diabetes, but the main focus is just on life. She got married and told us about it. She got pregnant and shared the details. She now has a beautiful baby girl – Bsparl and she continues to write about life as a Type 1 living day-to-day as a wife, mom and diabetes advocate.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Kerri. We actually were at a dinner together just about 2 weeks ago, but I did not thank her. I liked to thank Kerri for being my inspiration.

Please note: I'm also greatly inspired by George! But, that's a whole other post. thank you ninjabetic!!!

Loss... affects Blood Sugars and Creativity

2011-05-06T10:40:00.003-04:00

Loss. - n The act or an instance of losing.

Yesterday, May 5, 2011, I lost my cat, Sassy. Sassy joined my family in August 1999, after we bought her at the Fish Bowl Pet Shop on Hope Street. She was approximately 8 weeks old. We knew her birthday was in June, but we never did know the exact day. She was a beautiful cat. Loving. Interactive. Unassuming. Loyal. She always looked like a young kitten. She never got "fat" like most older cats. Up until 3 years ago people always assumed she WAS a kitten. Then, it all changed. She started vomiting. Profusely. And, her thin figure shrank even more. I took her to the vet and found out she had Hyperthyroidism. The vet diagnosed her before she even drew the blood. Bloodwork showed that her T-4 level was 19 and it should have been between 1.2-5.2 ug/dL. This article discusses hyperthyroidism in your cat.

Unfortunately, over the last 6 months we watched Sassy's health decline. I knew her internal organs were shutting down.
SYMPTOMS:
Appetite - Her appetite varied from EXTREME hunger (4 full cans of Friskies in a day) to loss of appetite (she wouldn't eat anything for 3 days).
Increased restlessness.
Poor hair coat. She no longer bathed and her entire coat was matted. The hair loss was extreme.
Increased drinking and urination. This got BAD.

The list goes on, but for the most part she showed signs of all of the symptoms on this website.

So, yesterday Alex and I took her to the vet and had her euthanized. It was not an easy decision, but I know it was the right one. My little Sassy-fras was suffering.

So, the day consisted of some VERY high blood sugars and NO creativity. None. The loss took over. I'm still battling high sugars today. I'm struggling to get under 200. My emotions are getting the better of me and I know this will take a few days to settle down. The bad thing is that the next 3 days are FULL! BUSY! I don't have time to be struggling with my blood. I have a First Communion and celebration to attend. I'm having my Mom, Dad and cousin over for dinner on Sunday to celebrate Mother's Day and I am selling my handmade gifts at the Shopping Night at my son's school on Monday night. Biggest problem here is that I don't have enough lovely handmade gifts to sell. Somehow I will get through it all. I'll get the house cleaned and the crafting done. I'll attend all events and somehow, throughout it all I'll mourn my Sassy-fras and I'll get my blood sugars back to 100-ish.

Happy Mother's Day to all!!!

Diabetes Blog Week

2011-05-04T12:23:00.002-04:00

I'm participating in the 2nd Annual Diabetes Blog Week.

Karen at Bitter~Sweet is hosting this event which started last year. I'm anticipating some blog-hopping good fun!

Be sure to check out Karen's post about our first ever JDRF Adult Type 1 meet-up which took place last Thursday. It was so nice to meet new friends. Karen put it so well..."It was like one big party with a great group of friends, and it never for one minute felt like we had only met that night. I’m still always so amazed at how quickly the diabetes bond brings us together".

Big thanks to Karen, Joan, Rachel, Kathleen and Kady. I'm looking forward to the next one.

Creatively Chaotic!

2011-04-27T13:40:00.004-04:00

Life has been busy! But, I've managed to control the chaos creatively!

I'm still on a journey ... learning, creating, discovering...

Embossing and playing with color...

Getting goodies in the mail....

Enjoying when my daughter has here friends over...

Making Easter goodies for my family...
(card design CASE'd from Michelle Zindorf)

Dyeing Easter Eggs with the kids...

I think I have the most fun of all!

Making a favorite dessert for Easter...

and creating cards for an upcoming sale...

Even with my blood sugars running a little low I've managed to Creatively Control the Chaos!

Lunch...

2011-04-15T16:20:00.005-04:00

What do YOU do during lunch? Some people exercise. Some visit with friends. Some simply eat. Me... I eat AND sketch...

Thursday 4-14-2011:
Tulips on my kitchen island.

Sketched.

For comparison.

Done.

Friday April 15, 2011 ~ lunch at Starbucks:
Dots.

trying to get some depth. I used to be really good at depth. Practice makes perfect...

Today's photo op. We'll see where this goes.

Join me for WEGO Health’s Webinar: Navigating Your Health Narrative!

2011-04-15T16:11:00.003-04:00

I just registered for WEGO Health’s exciting new webinar and I wanted to share with everyone. Here are the particulars:

What: Navigating Your Health Narrative Webinar

Who: Health Activist Panel with Lisa E, Erin B, Jenni P, and Amanda D

When: Thursday April 21^st 8pm EST (the webinar will last one hour)

Where: Sign up here and you’ll get all the details

The webinar is for anyone from seasoned bloggers to blog-readers who want to start their own blog. The webinar will cover the basics of blogging and include more advanced tips and tricks for promoting posts, managing your time, and establishing your blog “voice” and how to raise awareness about your condition through blogging.

By signing up you’ll also have a chance to ask specific questions for the Health Activist panel that will be answered during the live Q&A portion of the webinar. You’ll get access to the archived version of the webinar!

Growth

2011-04-13T14:16:00.002-04:00

Growing... daily. ~~Smiles!!!~~

Chaos wins...

2011-04-07T00:54:00.005-04:00

and when the chaos wins I just simply feel unbalanced. I'm too low to be writing right now, and that has caused my chaos, but I wanted to share the Creative week I've had thus far...

This was Sunday and Monday.

I played with my retired SU! chipboard. First I embossed them, then I painted them and finally I layered them with 3 layers of clear embossing powder which I heat set.

Tuesday.

Layering, embellishing and journalling.

Inspiration came from Jane LaFazio, Donna Downey and Joanne Sharpe.

Wednesday Lunch. ...more layers and some watercolor pencils. Wednesday evening. Journalling. Wednesday... later evening. I did this about 3 hours ago. I had BIG plans to continue with my journalling until the chaos ensued. First, I was 69. Had 4 oz. of orange juice. Waited 45 minutes and checked again to find out I was 53 (see top photo!). So, now, I've had a little more juice and some food and I'm going to bed. This page will be continued tomorrow. The title of this spread is Growth.

Nothing is Original!

2011-04-05T11:42:00.003-04:00

I'm addicted to my computer. There. I said it. Any computer, not one in particular. I have a computer at work that I feel glued to. That's where I'm sitting right now. I have a computer at home that seems to be another extension of myself. My family calls me the "Google-queen", but I believe it's important to stay connected. My dad taught me years ago that you have to learn something new each day. So, each day I find myself searching for knowledge and I do manage to learn a thing or two each day. I love that.

Today was no exception. I've been aimlessly "searching". I start of FaceBook, see a link, open said link, from there the tides rush in. One link leads to another, to another and before I know it I find something that amazes me. Perhaps surprises me. Today I found a blog that just seemed to hit the spot. You see, I realized during my trip to Tucson in February that I need more art education. Or, so I thought. I've always known I need continued Diabetes education and I have no problem on that topic. I learn something new about diabetes all the time by reading, speaking, seeking, etc... But, for some reason I became intent on the idea that I needed more art education. I've been searching for the "RIGHT" place. The right forum. The perfect venue. The problem... lack of funds.

Today I found a link to an article that has my inspiration souring and I want YOU to READ IT! How to Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon. For years I've felt like I have nothing new to contribute. It's already been done. Guess what? IT HAS BEEN DONE! Mr. Kleon says "NOTHING IS ORIGINAL." He explains that it is "right there in the Bible". Ecclesiastes: "That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun." Please, take a moment and go read this article. You WON'T be sorry!

I've decided it's time for me to live by a new mantra: "It's not where you take things from, it's where you take things to." I'm sure this has been said before, but I'm "stealing" it for now!

Paying it forward...

2011-03-30T13:47:00.009-04:00

I've been busy the past few days. Good blood sugars always help me stay productive and when I have a BIG project to work on it makes me happy when I can Creatively Control ALL of my Chaos from art projects to those pesky blood glucose readings!

Almost a year ago I posted a Pay-It-Forward status on my FB profile page.
It read: Erin O'Neill Argueta is paying it forward for creative people. I promise to send something handmade to the first 5 people who leave a comment to this update. They must in turn promise to post this and send something they made to the first 5 posters on their status. The rules are it must be handmade and sent within the year. (Thanks Maggie!)

I received the following responses:

Kathy You are one of the most creative people that I know! Truly inspiring and a wonderful friend as well!
Emily cool!! i ♥ your classes!
Debi B What a super duper cool idea!
Jennifer You're giving people a full year? That works!
Debra Z love this one Erin! love to join in if room!
Erin O'Neill Argueta
‎
...Cool.... ! Now... I HAVE to think of something fantastic for all you creative girlies!!!!!!!

LOVE these girls and I was so thrilled to have the opportunity to make something special for each one, BUT, typical me I have kind of waited to the last minute. BUT, I DO have 4 of the 5 projects completed. I've created each project specific to the person and now I just need to complete the last project and get them all into the mail... via FedEx!

Here are some photos of one of the projects that one of these lucky ladies will get.... I took a particle board frame base and turned it into a unique piece.

First, I applied Gesso.

I created templates with the SU! Tulipe Die for the Big Shot.

Using Modeling paste I "embossed" the Tulipe all over the frame.

Once the modeling paste had dried I painted it in Burnt Siena.

Then I applied some Crackle finish. While the Crackle was still tacky I painted 2 different colors and then sponged the entire piece.

The end result looks like aged wood.

Once the other projects are received by the recipients I'll post some photos.

My Retina Vessel has a PERM!

2011-03-25T10:38:00.011-04:00

I've been a patient of the Joslin Diabetes Beetham Eye Unit for over 30 years. I've been incredibly fortunate to have the same doctors for all of those years! I've been a patient of Dr. Richard Calderon since I was about 8 years old and I've also been a patient of Dr. Lloyd Paul Aiello and now his son Dr. Lloyd Paul Aiello, Jr.

Yesterday was my bi-annual eye appointment. I travel from Stamford, CT to Boston, MA twice a year to have my eyes checked by these amazing doctors! Sometimes I drive and sometimes I take the Amtrak train. Yesterday I chose to take the train. I started to think about my eyes while I was on the train and I wondered how does everyone else see the world? I see the world as an artist. I see color, texture, design, detail... So, I decided to document how I was seeing the world yesterday.

I saw a woman on the Amtrak Train whose dress looked like a potato sack. Rather than trying to take a photo of her, I chose to sketch her. I think my sketch is actually kind of cute in comparison to that poor woman. The border was my take on her scarf which she put on after I'd started to sketch her.
When I last saw my doctors in November 2010, Dr. Aiello expressed some concern that there were signs of mild Diabetic Retinopathy in one of my eyes. I've had slight signs of this since I was about 15 years old, but there was something different in Dr. Aiello's tone at the last visit. For some reason, that visit left me thinking more and more about my diabetes and my eyes. I happen to be very aware of my eyes and my vision due to the education I’ve received from my parents and the Joslin Diabetes Center and the fact that I love art and I just love "seeing". I learned at an early age that the three major eye problems that people with diabetes may develop are cataracts, glaucoma, and retinopathy. I also learned that diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in adults age 20 to 74. Knowing that there were signs of mild diabetic retinopathy did not sit well with me.

I’ve now been diabetic for almost 39 years. I’ve had slight signs of diabetic retinopathy since I was in my early teens. One year I had about 20 microaneurysms in each eye. According to the Dictionary of Optometry and Visual Science, 7th edition, a microaneurysm is defined as: “Tiny swelling in the wall of a blood vessel. It appears in the retinal capillaries as a small, round, red spot. It is commonly found in diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion or absolute glaucoma.”

I went to see Dr. Calderon yesterday and thankfully, we were both pleased with how my eyes are doing. This is how I've seen Dr. Calderon for over 30 years:

He loved this photo as he said he’d never seen the view from that side!

I currently have 2 microaneurysms in my left eye and one “curly que” retina vessel in my right eye. Or, as Dr. Calderon said “Your retina vessel has a perm.”

Every time I go to the Eye Unit my eyes are dilated and photographic images of the inside of my eyes are taken for Dr. Calderon and Dr. Aiello to review. They also use magnifying glasses and incredibly bright lights to look directly inside my eyes. The first 20 or so years the photographic images were delivered to the doctors in slide format that looked like this:
Now, the images are done digitally and are sent to their computers within minutes. This is my right eye. Each photo is done in duplicate so the top two photos on the right show the "permed" retina vessel. I bet you can't even see it!
Over the years I’ve been incredibly fortunate that these microaneurysms come and go. Yesterday Dr. Calderon pointed out the one “permed or curly que” retina vessel but he believes if I continue to focus on getting my A1c lower (under 7) it will be gone by my next appointment in August.

When I returned to the Back Bay train station I saw these beautiful flowers and I was so thankful that I COULD see them:
So, my questions to you... Do you go to the eye doctor and how do you see the world?

Diabetes is NOT contagious! and I am NOT a pincushion!

2011-03-23T16:42:00.004-04:00

I just read on FaceBook that today is "Hug a Diabetic Day". Really? Who comes up with these things? Yesterday was Diabetes Alert Day. When I was growing up it was SO different. There was no focus on anything diabetes related. No hugging diabetics because it was Hug a Diabetic day. It seems odd to me.

You see, I remember my mother explaining to other parents that diabetes is NOT contagious. I remember that my brother had to give a speech in High School because people called him pin cushion. No, I, personally have never been called a pin cushion.

I'm so grateful that the world is changing and there are so many more voices for diabetes wandering around. I've always told people about my diabetes, but I can't say I've honestly advocated for the cause. I'm trying to do so now and I want to thank whoever came up with "Hug-a-Diabetic" day. I'll be sure to get my hugs when I get home! I'm not going to search out co-workers for this particular diabetes day agenda.

Tonight my goal is to go home. Hug my beautiful children, eat dinner and then teach Stamp Camp. If you missed camp this month you've missed some gorgeous cards that use a set from Sale-A-Bration. BUT, no fear, SAB ends March 31st so there is still time.

I leave on a comment I read today that has inspired me...
Every Artist builds on what came before. LOVE THAT!

Diabetes Alert Day

2011-03-22T16:59:00.002-04:00

Today is Diabetes Alert Day. I've seen numerous posts on FaceBook about this. I've read that every year, the American Diabetes Association marks its annual Diabetes Alert Day on the fourth Tuesday of March. To quote a fellow diabetic, Michael Hoskins, "Basically, this is a one day "wake-up call" designed to make people more aware of Type 2 diabetes and offer them ways to assess their own potential in developing this condition." I was wondering why there isn't a Type 1 Alert Day and I found that Michael asked the same question. His post helps answer my question.

Please take a look at all of these sites that focus on Diabetes Alert Day and consider taking the test:
1. There is a quiz on FB and on the ADA website that helps determine if you're at risk for Type 2: ADA on FB or go directly to the ADA website.

2. Michael Hoskins site encourages those who already have diabetes to consider this day to be "Tell a friend day". He asks that we tell someone what life with diabetes is like.

3. SUM: Kerri Marone Sparling's site "Six Until Me" has Rachel Baumgartel as guest blogger. Rachel was diagnosed with Type 2 at age 28. She discusses being diagnosed at such an early age and feeling like she has more in common with people who have Type 1 and are closer to her own age.

4. Dr. Steve Ponder's article, "Ponder, Diabetics Require Routine Maintenance" makes sense for all diabetics.

Are you at risk? Do you have a family history of diabetes or do you even know if it runs in your family? It's worth the ten minutes to take the Risk Assessment.

On a more creative note, I'll be hosting Stamp Camp tomorrow - Wednesday 3/23 at 7pm and Saturday 3/26 at 11am. I'm showcasing a beautiful stamp set from the current Sale-A-Bration (SAB) mini catalog. SAB ends March 31. A $50.00 order earns a SAB item.

Thursday 3/24 I'll be taking Amtrak to Boston for my bi-annual eye appointment at the Beetham Eye Unit at Joslin.

Adaptability and BALANCE

2011-03-21T15:20:00.003-04:00

I noted a few days ago that my mom says I'm adaptable. I believe it's a trait I learned years ago and I thank/blame diabetes for it. No, I'm not always adaptable but I have learned how to ride the waves. I Creatively Control the Chaos. I read an interesting article: Despising the Big D by Steve Woodruff, a non-diabetic, today. Despising the Big D is a catchy title and I'm surprised at how well this individual understands some parts of life with the "Big D". But, as I got to the comments section I was also interested in the comments by "Scribe". I can see both sides to this picture. There are moments/days when I DO despise the "Big D", but for the most part I am thankful for what the "Big D" has taught me. I believe I am able to adapt or creatively control my chaos because of diabetes. I am better organized (most of the time) because of my diabetes. There are definite pluses and minuses, but I am saddened by many Parents of Diabetics who focus solely on the fact that Diabetes has stolen their child's youth. That's just plain sad.

I had a wonderful childhood. My parents raised TWO Type 1's and while there were inevitable ups and downs or bumps in the road I never once felt like I missed out on my childhood. I'm also deeply saddened by the parents who are solely focused on finding a cure and not living in the moment. BALANCE. These people need balance. It is SO important to continue to raise funds and have hope for a cure but I've been hearing for 38 1/2 years that "there will be a cure in 5 years". My parents did everything in their power (and still do) to raise money and support diabetes research but they never let that take away from our daily well being.

I want the parents of children with Type 1 to remember that there is a VERY strong possibility that their children will grow up to be adults with Type 1. Support is so important. Continued education is equally important.

I do have to make note that adaptability and balance do make creatively controlling chaos that much more interesting. Today I've been very controlled. Great blood sugars - CHECK, Created something - CHECK, productive - CHECK. BUT, my mind swirls with information overload. I'm SO productive and feeling SO creative that I get lost in my searches. I read too much and my mind swims with ideas and inspiration. I wish I had a few more hands!

Photos tomorrow on some of my latest creativity!

Life is good.

2011-03-19T17:34:00.002-04:00

I love Saturdays. I especially love Saturdays that are incredibly positive... slept late, completed reminder postcards for Julia's wedding (she stamped them all!!!), good blood sugars (79, 117, 134), went to an Estate Sale, visited Alex at work, worked on my art journal while Haley painted and Dylan colored his Social Studies homework (love my art supplies!!!) and next we're heading to NCHS to see "The Drowsy Chaperone". Tyler Giggi is in the show (son of my former math teacher) and Dan Micciche is on keyboard. Life is good.

All is well in my Creatively Controlled Chaos and I LOVE that! Happy Saturday to all.

How well do YOU Bounceback?

2011-03-18T11:06:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I discussed my crazy "M/W" day on Wednesday. Low, High, LOW, level.... It was NOT a fun day in terms of blood sugars, creativity or controlled chaos. There was NO creativity and NO control in that day of chaos. I kept thinking about how poorly I'd "bounced back" from my lows during the day and wondered how well others deal.

Luckily I had a pre-scheduled appointment with my amazing Endo, Dr. Mary. I saw her yesterday. It was not a normal appointment. No bloodwork was predrawn and I was not there to review my daily BG numbers like I normally do every 3 months. I'd made the appointment to discuss some issues with my feet (which are fine), but I decided that it would be a good time to discuss "bounceback".

Throughout my entire life I've experienced low blood sugars. When I was younger I would get low, drink OJ, eat something and continue on. I never gave much thought to the whole process. I was low. Period. End of sentence. I'd simply "bounceback" from the low. Yet, I don't remember my bounceback times being so difficult and I don't remember doctors making a big deal about the effects of low blood sugars on my body.

As I've gotten "on in years" and had the "D" for YEARS, I've noticed that I don't "bounceback" from a low as quickly as before. Now, this is not the case all the time, but with a severe low it seems to hurt more. On Wednesday I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. I mentioned that I left work early to go home and sleep-it-off. Well, when I discussed this with Dr. Mary she confirmed my thoughts. 1. I'm getting older so age does play a factor in the bounceback time. 2. I've been diabetic for 38 1/2 years and changes do occur. But, there was one point I brought up and she was pleased that I'd recognized it. I KNOW more. I'm better educated. I'm involved (albeit as a lurker for years) in the DOC (Diabetes Online Community). I know that extreme lows are not good for me. Hypoglycemia can have a disruptive effect on the nervous system and the brain.

Dr. Mary discussed my bodies ability to produce glucagon: "When blood glucose begins to fall, glucagon—another hormone made by the pancreas—signals the liver to break down glycogen and release glucose into the bloodstream. Blood glucose will then rise toward a normal level. In some people with diabetes, this glucagon response to hypoglycemia is impaired and other hormones such as epinephrine, also called adrenaline, may raise the blood glucose level. But with diabetes treated with insulin or pills that increase insulin production, glucose levels can’t easily return to the normal range." Without using the big words I'd basically been saying the same thing. My body does not bounceback like it used to. I know that there are times with a moderate low that I can drink 4 oz. of OJ and return to a normal blood glucose reading within 15 minutes but there are days (like Wednesday) where I experience a severe low and my body does not respond like it used to. I'm not good with all the medical jargon, but I do know my bounceback time is not what it used to be.

So, my question to you..."How well do YOU Bounceback?" from a severe low.

On a side note, my A1c did come down a bit, but it is still higher than I'd like it to be. And, I was NOT creative again yesterday. I tried. I pulled out some embellishments to add onto the page I started with the bricks, but I could not find it in me to do anything. My emotions got the best of me and I had to step away. Today, March 18 at 1:06am marks the 2 year anniversary of the death of my little dog, Sparky. I found him after he'd been hit by a car and I do believe that the stress of this has played a role in the events of this week. Life happens. Stress happens. It all takes a toll on my diabetic body. I do my very best to manage it and Dr. Mary believes I'll live a long healthy life, but having weeks like this... I wonder. Tomorrow is a new day. I'll be stamping with one of the brides I've been working with. Her invitations are done but tomorrow we'll be working on her wedding program and table seating chart. I see creativity in my near future!

2011-03-17T10:23:00.004-04:00

Ignorance? Resilience? I'll take either one!

Ignorance is bliss. - Thomas Gray
Children are resilient. - Mrs. Calka
Youth is wasted on the young. - George Bernard Shaw

I know there are other appropriate quotes for the day I had yesterday. BG = 39 at 7am, 171 at 10am, 293 at 4pm, 42 at 8pm, 114 at 11pm. "M/W" kind of day. Down, Up, Down... level. Not my favorite kind of day but unfortunately these do happen. The problem is that with the low I had in the evening my mind started racing. All of these quotes ... listed above ... kept reverberating in my head. Lows do that to me. I get stuck on an idea and it takes a while to settle down. I prefer when a low gets me stuck on a creative idea and I'm home. Then I can have my OJ and keep being creative while the low subsides. Well, that is not what happened yesterday.

I felt so badly by 4pm that I left work early and went home. I slept soundly on the sofa for 3+ hours. When I woke up both kids said "uh, Mom, we're kind of hungry." Alex was at work and these two let me sleep. I love them but sometimes I do wish they'd check my blood sugars when I pass out for hours at "odd" times. Like dinner time.

Once I awoke I didn't realize right away that I was low. I knew the kids were hungry but I decided to start laundry. As I was putting the load into the washer I got that "funny", rather indescribable feeling and went to check. Once I saw the 42 I got a little exasperated. I drank some OJ and sat down. It took what seemed like almost 45 minutes for that low to subside (it was only 20 minutes) and all I could do was repeat those crazy quotes. You see, when I was younger I could get low, have some juice and keep on truckin'. Not so much anymore. I find it harder to bounce back. I have a pre-scheduled appointment to see my Endo today and I'm going to ask her about this. Is it simply due to the fact that I am getting older? (I hate to admit that!) or is it the number of years I've been diabetic? Maybe there is something else. I do know that each low is different from the last. Sure, there can be similarities but no two are identical. I try to treat them all identically but even that doesn't happen. I've learned that the 15:15 rule works best. 15g of carb : check blood in 15 minutes. I'd say 90% of the time that works like a charm. Yesterday both lows did not seem to agree.

I still want to know why youth is wasted on the young though. If I could be as blissfully ignorant as I was at say... 10? 15? maybe I could still bounce back, but for now I know the consequences of highs and lows and I don't bounce back. I wish I was a little more resilient though!

Fasting today I was 74 and here's my number now:

I'm perfectly content to stay at this number ALL day! Maybe I can be creative tonight? I did not do anything last night other than treat a low, eat and sleep! Oh, I did get that one load of laundry done. :-)

CCC continued...

2011-03-16T11:59:00.004-04:00

My life is "CCC" but isn't everyone's? Creatively Controlled Chaos. My mom says I adapt. Not so. I do not always adapt. Sometimes I break down and can't keep anything controlled creatively or not. I've decided it is time to get back to my blog. I'm going to learn to balance the Creative and the Chaotic sides but honestly they are just simply 2 major parts of me and they will not always be balanced. You see... Creative = my art and Chaos = my diabetes. Sometimes they flip channels and Creative = my diabetes and Chaos = my art. Like I said, not always controlled but just plain me.

Last night I thought I was doing a great job of balancing it all. I got home from work at 5:45pm. I ran into the house and started a page in my art journal. I've been trying to create something daily as I just finished a fantastic course with Alisa Burke and I follow Donna Downey's Inspirational Wednesdays. Well, Donna is now hosting an inspirational week and I was SO inspired. I started a page and then had to run out the door. Feeling a sense of accomplishment at the start of my page I ran out the door very excited. (note: excitement tends to lead to lower blood sugars in me!).

I had to leave home by 6:40pm to go to dinner with the Fairfield County Diabetic Divas. Love these ladies! We dine bi-monthly at a restaurant in SONO and I ALWAYS have the same dish ~ Crab Cake Salad. It's a problem I've had my whole life. I like repetition. I don't like change? Look at it however you want. If I find a favorite I stick with it. Darien CC was grilled cheese. Dad was the SAME way. He'd only order a BLT. Same with clothes. I'd wear the same outfit over and over and over until someone was brave enough to tell me to throw it away. That someone was normally mom and she still helps with this task.

Back to dinner... I met the girls at 7pm. The usual dinner was ordered... Crab Cake Salad. Karen, Rachel and I are in a rut. The same conversation we've had at every dinner took place... "I still don't know how much to bolus for this". I was convinced I'd gotten it down to a science. I had decided 34 g of Carb for the breading on the crab cakes. Now, at 7:10pm when I first checked my BG I was 89. "Great!" I thought! Now, I've been diabetic for almost 39 years. You'd think by this point I'd pay more attention to the details of my day (remember the excitement I mentioned? That was approximately 40 minutes earlier. Had I been wearing my CGM I would have seen that I was on a slow decline...). Maybe I should put a little more thought into my bolusing? Nope. Not me. I don't adapt, I fly by the seat of my pants most times and for some reason I've been incredibly lucky.

For dinner I bolused 2 units as per my MiniMed WIZARD.
BG = 89. Carb ratio = 1/15. 34 g carb = 2 units. Done.

We enjoyed our dinner. Kathleen enlightened us on Metabolic Memory or something magical like that. Basically, the fact that my mom and dad did an amazing job of taking excellent care of me (and my brother) as Type 1 children saved me from the devastation I did as a hormonal teen. More on that another day.

Fast forward to this morning. 6:55am I look at the clock. Too early to get up. 7:30am Alex starts talking to me. "Are you low?" he asked. "I don't know" I answered. I think I did know. I knew something was wrong but I was in the state of low exhaustion where the only thing that appealed to me was more sleep. Not orange juice and certainly NOT conversation. Thank God for my amazing hubby. He got the blood monitor. "39". He got the orange juice and got it into me and continued to check on me for the next 2 hours. Some lows just hit harder than others. Today I got knocked off my socks!

Yes, I do know me. I know that creative excitement can lead to a nice decline in my blood sugars. Do I think of this when I'm bolusing for a salad-based dinner? Sometimes. Not always. I was overly excited with the art page I'd just created. I was excited to see the Diabetic Divas. (Love these girls!) So, now, I'm back to trying to gain control of my creative chaos.

Here is the art piece I got SO excited over...
It's a background TBC (To Be Continued...)

I have to watch the next video tonight to see what the next layer will be. Mine is an adaptation of Donna's work on fabric. I had far too much fun creating this piece. While it's simple to view now... I hate to tell you how much work went into the steps to get it here.

2010-12-14T11:04:00.002-05:00

Creatively Controlled Chaos!

I believe this is an adequate description of my life. I wear SO many different hats and recently I've decided I need a title that covers them all. CCC ~ Creatively Controlled Chaos ~ works. You see, I am Erin...wife, mom, daughter, sister, artist, Type 1 Diabetic, Stampin' Up! Supervisor, Executive Assistant. I think there are a few other hats involved, but those are the ones that come to mind. There is never a dull moment in my life. "Something" is always in need of me in a hat. Always. Somehow I've managed to learn to Creatively Control the Chaos that is my life and live a productive life. Some days I don't know how I do it, but I do.

As a "Veteran" Type 1 I'd like to share 6 things I know about diabetes.

2010-11-09T17:04:00.002-05:00

I have not blogged in over a year and I have no idea when I’ll blog again, but I wanted to contribute today. November is Diabetes Awareness Month and TODAY, Nov. 9 is D-Blog Day.

**D-blog Day was started on November 9th 2005 during Diabetes Awareness Month, to help unite diabetes bloggers and create awareness about diabetes. Thanks to Gina Capone!

This year’s topic is: 6 things you want people to know about diabetes.

Before I tell you 6 things about diabetes, I’d like to give a little background…

On May 21, 1972, at the age of 2, I was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes. For the most part, Mom had diagnosed me herself. You see, as a mom, she knew that 2 year olds didn’t ask for water and pee as much as I was doing. She consulted the Family Medical Journal and told my dad “Erin has Diabetes”. Dad, always the optimist, didn’t necessarily want to believe her, but trusted her instinct and intuition so they decided to take me to see Dr. Flynn. On that fateful day in May, while mom was 8 months pregnant with my brother, they learned that our lives would be forever … different. Not changed, but different. You see, we all had to adjust to my broken pancreas. My brother was born July 1972 and in 1974 he, too, was diagnosed as a Juvenile Diabetic. Now we were doubly different!!

Somehow my parents made it all seem so easy. We grew up like regular kids. We never felt “different”. We went to birthday parties, we went to sleepovers, we Trick-or-Treated for Halloween and we were kids. Okay, so we put our pee into test tubes to check our glucose levels and we got shots of insulin in our bottoms twice a day… didn’t everyone? For Halloween Mom would go to each neighbor and bring them a treat we could have. Sugar free candies were not readily available in the 70’s, but mom found them. She also knew what other fun treats we would love and she simply explained to each and every neighbor that we were both diabetic and could not have candy. For birthday parties mom would call ahead to see what was being served. Cupcakes were a hot birthday treat and she would always bake us a cupcake with Sweet ‘n Low to match the cupcakes being served so that we could participate in the festivities. I never knew all the extra “special” touches she did until I was older, but I don’t think I was able to fully appreciate it until I became a mother myself. Having two kids is the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me, but it is work. Okay, FUN work most of the time, but it requires you to be on duty 24/7. Add diabetes on top of that to both kids and that is more than a full-time job! Our parents never complained and just made it SO easy. They educated us on how to take care of ourselves and how to live life to the fullest.

Last week my brother and I attended the DO IT (Diabetes Outpatient Intensive Treatment) program at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. We continue to educate ourselves to be able to take care of our diabetes to the best of our abilities. As the world changes and grows there are constant advancements in diabetes care and it’s so important to be aware of what is available.

In honor of D-Blog day, these are the 6 things I want you to know about diabetes

Diabetes doesn’t take a vacation!

It’s ALWAYS there. It never goes away. I can’t run and hide from it. I can’t take a vacation from it. Each step of each day has to be considered and taken into account. Do I have enough Insulin in my pump? Did I check my blood glucose? Did I eat? Did I take insulin? Am I getting low? Will I get low if I do “that”? Will I get high if I eat “that”?

I check my blood every time I get behind the wheel of the car. I check my blood while driving the car. I check my blood at work, in the kitchen, in restaurants, in doctor offices, on buses, on planes… it never ends. I pump insulin into my portable pancreas and I check my blood an average of 8 times a day. A non-diabetic’s blood glucose runs at an average of 80-120 without any manual assistance. My blood glucose can range from 20-500+. I wear my pancreas, but it takes a lot of work to keep my blood stable. Diabetes is always there and never takes a vacation.

You HAVE to take care of yourself!

It is SO important to work with your doctor, but in the end, you have to live in YOUR body with YOUR diabetes. No one knows YOU, better than YOU. Take care of YOU. Listen to your body and work together with your doctor.

Look at your feet EVERYDAY!

You only get two. Two feet. Okay, there are ten toes, but there are NO replacement parts available. Look at those feet and all ten toes...DAILY! If in doubt reread #2: You have to take care of yourself!

It is possible to live an amazing life!

Just because you have diabetes does not mean you can’t do what you want. Yes, granted, there are limitations, but none that can’t be overcome without a little planning and preparation.

My parents took my brother and I to all 7 continents. Between 1982 and 1988 we traveled every summer and during most school vacations. Yes, I know how fortunate we were. I know how RARE this is, but it just helps prove my point that you can do anything as a diabetic or as the parent of a diabetic. You can live and thrive as a diabetic!

You have to stay educated!

The world is constantly changing around us. Every day doctors and scientists are making advances in the care of diabetes. Not all new tools will be financially available, but know what is out there. Work with your doctor and be willing to try new things. I’m a strong believer in “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, but I’ve learned during my lifetime and my 38 years as a diabetic that it’s important to try new things to take better care of myself and to constantly read about the latest advances in the care of diabetes.

I may be a Type 1 Diabetic, but I’m still human!

Okay, so my pancreas is broken. I produce NO insulin. I wear a portable little pancreas, fondly nicknamed “PANKY”, on my left hip. I’m still human. Please, DO NOT ask me if I have the bad kind of diabetes. DO NOT ask me if I can eat that. DO NOT ask me if I’m in good control. DO NOT tell me about your great uncle “XXX” who died because of his Type 2 diabetes and I shouldn’t do “XXX”. If you want to discuss his care and analyze how he did/did not take care of himself… great, but his Type 2 Diabetes and my Type 1 Diabetes are two VERY different diseases and your ignorance is truly annoying. And, lastly, please DO NOT tell me how surprised you are because I look so healthy. I work very hard at managing my disease and educating myself to stay healthy. I am a Type 1 Diabetic, but I’m still human.

When I last blogged on May 21, 2009 I wrote that I had a goal to live to my late 90’s / early 100’s and be in the Guinness Book of World Records for “Living the longest number of years with Type 1 Diabetes”. I’ve slightly modified this goal. I now plan to live to AT LEAST 102+ to earn the first ever Joslin Diabetes Medalist award for living with diabetes for 100 years. Then, I can go into the Guinness Book of World Records! I also plan to design said award.

Yes, I'm diabetic. I've been diabetic for 37 years.

2009-05-19T10:22:00.005-04:00

Thursday, May 21, 2009 will be my 37th "Anniversary" with Diabetes. I was diagnosed May 21, 1972 as a Juvenile (Type 1) Diabetic. I was 2 1/2 years old.

Yesterday, I worked the book fair at my son's school and as I was eating my lunch, another mom saw me "pump" my insulin and she said "Is that a beeper?" with a snide giggle. I said, "No, it's my insulin pump." Then I heard that same question I've heard more often than not... "OH! You're diabetic?". It always sounds the same. The exaggerated "OH!" that starts it off. You see, to me, it is rather funny. I've been diabetic for FOREVER. In my opinion, I've always been diabetic. I don't remember NOT being diabetic. Doesn't it say DIABETIC on my forehead? Sometimes, I wish it was just stamped on me.

So, I responded, "Yes, I'm diabetic". I like when that door opens. It gives me a chance to educate those with the snide giggles. SO many people have NO idea as to just what diabetes is, what kind of care it entails, etc... etc... I have decided the snide giggles mean they think I'm a little out of it technology-wise. I have never asked "Why do you smirk when you ask if it's a beeper?" The other question I LOVE is, "Are you a doctor?" You see, I wear my insulin pump and my Blackberry on my hip - TOGETHER. Yes, together. I've had another diabetic KMS ask if I was worried the two devices would "talk" to one another. Well, in the 10 years I've had pumps and phones - together - I've never caught them chatting : )

The question I like the best is "37 years? How old are you? You don't look that old." I'll be 40 in August and I love it when people say "You don't look THAT OLD".

YES, I'm diabetic. My great thought for the day. Almost 37 years and going strong. My goal: live to my late 90's/early 100's and be in the Guinness Book of World Records for "Living the longest number of years iwth Type 1 Diabetes".

p.s. - stamping "stuff" will be back soon. Sparky will be in my heart forever, but life is moving on and I figured out a about 2 weeks ago, that if I didn't pull myself together I was going to miss the ride!

Blogging, dieting and ....?

2009-03-31T00:39:00.002-04:00

The past few days have been just horrible. I have lost my baby boy. I have not dieted and I have not blogged. Okay, I have not blogged in a LONG time, but ...? I've realized I don't know what to blog about. I am now sitting here crying because I posted Sparky's picture. I need to get settled, accept that he is gone and get back to blogging about my diabetes and my stamping. It will come. Soon.

Sparky

2009-03-31T00:34:00.004-04:00

Sparky
September 16, 2000 - March 18, 2009
I love you.

I love this little dog so much! I just cannot believe that he is gone. Why? I don't understand why? What made you run? Was it a rabbit? I miss you. I miss coming home to see you at the door. I miss you barking at the vacuum and all the "beeps" that take place in the kitchen. I miss watching TV with you. I miss hearing you snore. I miss you. I just plain miss you. Daddy misses you. Haley and Dylan miss you. Sassy and Summer miss you. I love you Sparky Argueta!

Inquiring minds want to know...where'd she go?

2009-03-03T11:57:00.002-05:00

Honestly, I haven't gone anywhere. Well, not true. We went to Boston for a day and to Salem, MA for 2 nights. BUT...I'm here. As I mentioned before. This "BLOG" thing may not happen daily, although I would really like it to!

I won't bore you with all the details, but I have been busy lately: Stamping, Stamping Meetings, visits to the Endocrinologist and CDE (Certified Diabetes Educator), Eye doctor, much blood work, school projects for Haley and Dylan. You know me, c-r-a-z-y busy!

I'm attaching one project I have done. I entered this piece into a Remarkable Artist Competition with Jan Wakeland. Jan is 4 levels above me in the Stampin' Up! world and each month she has 3-4 "Remarkable" artists present their work on her blog. I did not win this time, but that is not going to stop me from trying again!
Check back tomorrow. I plan to post details on Cathy Parlitsis' meeting from this past Saturday tonight!

Erin

In 2009 I will THRIVE

2009-02-03T23:02:00.000-05:00

Hello All!

I've been a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator for almost 7 years now. I have loved every moment of it and I find that I'm constantly intrigued with the new merchandise and new ideas, but while SU! is my true love I do look for inspiration in other places. The world wide web is full of so many ideas! One website I've discovered is Big Picture Scrapbooking . I've taken a few courses on this website over the past year and have truly enjoyed them all! I took 52 Card Pick-Up with Tena Sprenger last summer and then I did Design Your Life with Cathy Z (please do not ask me to spell her last name!) last fall. Just this past week I signed up for a project now class with Stephanie Hamen called Happy New You!

This class welcomes you with "It is time to celebrate who you are, who you want to be, and embrace the new!... In this class, we are going to focus on three projects that will help you streamline your goals for creating a new you and also help you to stick with your resolutions in the coming months. We will make items that will keep you inspired, motivated, and on track with your plans for the new year and the "new you!"" Well, when I saw this I thought it would be perfect with the new me I am trying to create before I turn 40!

In addition to the three projects, the class focuses on a "WORD" that represents your goals for the year. The three projects are 1. a journal, 2. a frame celebrating "Your word" and 3. a shadow box. Here is my journal. It reads Erin 2009 This year I will THRIVE!
Thrive is the same word used by the teacher - Stephanie Hamen and the more I thought it over I realized it suited me perfectly! I plan to thrive this year! Thursday will be 7 weeks since I quit smoking. I've now been on my diet for 2 1/2 weeks and I'm going to be Fabulously Forty in August! So, with all of these things in mind I'm going to THRIVE!

For the "brown-ish" frame I used the new "copper" Stampin' Up! Designer Series Paper from a Taste of Textiles. I cut the paper to fit around my "title" then I ran it through my Big Shot with the new Stampin' Up! Texture Tiles. I used a trim from one of the SU! Rub-Ons (3 white lines on the left side of the book) and I embossed Baroque Motifs with a retired embossing powder called Vintage Verdigris. I LOVE the way it turned out!

Now, I'm going to put in photos and inspiration to help get me through the year!

So, in addition to my fun new book I'm trying to get my A1C down. It was 6.6 last September and in December it climbed to 7.3. It's not a terrible number, but I want it LOWER! So, today I went to see Carol - the CDE (Certified Diabetes Educator) at the Endo's office, but I was not able to see her as she was running behind schedule and I had two sick kids at home. I left Carol with my last 6 weeks of blood sugar test results and ran home to make sure the kids were okay (eating, resting, NOT feverish, etc...). I rescheduled my appointment for next Monday and in the meantime I'll continue to monitor, but I really think I need some adjustments on my pump.

Rubber Stamp Plantation and Blocks

2009-02-02T21:51:00.000-05:00

Guess what? Guess what? I'm published. I mean if your work is "posted" on a private blog it counts as being published, right? I'm SO excited. Thanks Deb Z!!!

Take a look at the Rubber Stamp Plantation Blog here: http://www.rubberstampplantation.blogspot.com/

And look at their website here. Some of my ATC's (Artist Trading Cards) are posted in the gallery.

I LOVE this piece. I used the Mayan Sun textile Stamp from Rubber Stamp Plantation and Radiant Rain acrylic paints on a raw wood frame from Michael's Arts & Crafts.

Today I'm working on a new piece. A book for ME for 2009. This year I plan to THRIVE! I quit smoking. I'm on a diet (okay, it's slow so far but I'm working on it.) So far, I'm down 1.6 pounds in 2 weeks. AND...I'm turning 40 this year! I'll try to post an image of the book tomorrow.

Yesterday I worked on a new piece for my kitchen. Inspiration came from page 161 of the Stampin' Up! Fall-Winter 2008 Idea Book & Catalog. I just loved the little boxes. The piece matches the colors of my kitchen (Riding Hood Red), family room (Mellow Moss), and Dining Room (So Saffron). There are also 8 pieces that I created on Glossy Cardstock using Alcohol Inks!

inspire. create. share. AND Sale-A-Brate good times!

2009-02-01T13:06:00.000-05:00

Hello all!

I have to share "MY" day with you. Yesterday I went to Freeport, Long Island for a Christina Crawford Stampin' Up! Team Meeting at the Freeport Firehouse. First and foremost, I have to tell you that I drove all the way there and back and only thought of a cigarette ONE time! About 25 minutes into the trip I realized that 6+ weeks ago I would have smoked at least 3 cigarettes by that time of a trip. WOW!

So, onto the fun stuff....

Christina had a wonderful meeting as usual. She discussed the new motto for Stampin' Up! ... create. inspire. share. Showed all sorts of fun new product and discussed where she gets her inspiration.

- My Digital Studio = the new digital scrapbooking tool that Stampin' Up! will be releasing in the next few months. Keep an eye out on the SU! website for details on this.

- INSPIRATION = Christina gets most of her inspiration from magazines and stationary stores. She showed some photos of magazine images that she uses to CASE color ideas or layouts. She said that magazines always show the latest trends!

- Brad Container Box = Terry Brennan presented her "candy box" made from a brad container.

Photos of her box:

The brad container becomes the top and bottom of the this box. Middle = 1 piece cardstock (3 1/2 x 9) placed inside the brad box and then the cover is a 3 3/4 x 9 piece of DSP (designer series paper) that is crimped and glued to the outside. For further details: Terry's email is 3BRENNAN@OPTONLINE.NET

- CLASSES = Christina discussed class ideas. One class she holds is a 25 Birthday class. 25 cards for $25.

SAMPLES:

- Sale-A-Bration = Starts TODAY! If you have not received your Sale-a-bration mini catalog it is available on the Stampin' Up! Website. Be sure to check out the Products & Promotions page on the website for all of the details about this wonderful time of year!

My favorite item of the day was a Christina original. She actually wove the 5/8-inch grossgrain ribbon. Here is a photo:

Christina touched on a number of items and as usual, all was inspirational, motivational and just plain fun! I hope that some of you will join me for her next meeting which is April 25 in Washingtonville, NY. I sat with Linda Bartolucci, Lisa Gentile and other girls from their group. Such fun to see all the ladies, but I miss "OUR" team!

Happy Stampin'

Erin

I don't feel like I'm aging!

2009-01-27T10:13:00.000-05:00

Hello ...
I apologize. It's been a few days since I last posted. I really hoped to do this daily, but that may not happen. Life happens.

I've come to a realization today. I'm aging. I don't feel like I'm aging, but I know I am. My 13 year old daughter is shadowing a student at A.I.T.E. (Academy of Information, Technology and Engineering) today! She's spending the day in High School. HIGH SCHOOL? OMG... I'm too young to have a child in High School. Honestly I am. Okay, Okay... So I'm going to be 40 in August. I KNOW that. But, what happened? How'd they grow up SO fast. HIGH SCHOOL? I cried like a baby this morning. I can't imagine what September will be like. For now, I'm enjoying the moment and taking photos!

To all my friends with youngsters ... TAKE PHOTOS! Lots and lots and LOTS of photos. You're going to blink and they'll be in HIGH SCHOOL. Now, I'm not sure if it was just the trauma of this morning or the bran muffin (with carrot) that I made, but my blood sugar just shot up to 254. UGH... I've been trying SO hard to stay at 100 and yet every few days I spike up a bit. ahh... life. There are days that I really hate being diabetic.

I'll be back. Later today or tomorrow. I have photos to share! I made the COOLEST calendar.

Erin

I need more hours per day!

2009-01-21T00:41:00.000-05:00

How many people say this? Is it only me? I really need more hours per day. Honestly. I do! I've been saying this for years.

Well, I guess I'm not going to get them today and I'm actually going to go to bed before 3am. I know, I know, I don't sleep enough, but last night I went to bed at 2:30am. I was up at 7:15 to take H to the bus. Then returned home, showered, changed the pump, got ready for work, had D at the bus at 8:30, went to the bank, stopped at S'bux for coffee and, of course, to say hi to A. See... it was not even 9:00am and I'd already accomplished a lot : ) I was even early for work! I function better on less sleep. Really, I DO!

Then... work... ahhh, the job! Busy day. It was good. Lunch with Lynne and Dee. Home late due to a "low" afternoon... 63, 49. I think I over bolused for my mushroom-brie soup. It was a LOT of points for my diet, but it was so well worth all the trouble it caused!

Once home I started stamping and prepping for tomorrow. It's now 12:47am. I'm going to sleep. I've decided to NOT share the last card in the deck for the camp. I'll post pics of the camps themselves.

But, back to my point. I had all of these amazing ideas of cards, projects and gift ideas that I wanted to have ready to show the girls tomorrow and Thursday. Guess what? I'm out of time. I just can't do it all!

Have a good day. Happy hump day!
E

Manic Monday

2009-01-20T00:41:00.000-05:00

Hi again-

Three days in a row... will she be able to keep this up? So many of you have emailed me to ask this question. I think... we'll take my blogging one day at a time!

Did I mention that I do not like Mondays? Well... Today was Monday. I worked, I walked on the treadmill, I ate a fantastic dinner and then I stamped! Alex made a steak salad that was 8 points on my home-version of Weight Watchers points! Fantastic! But, the bad part of the day? The bank! How in the world could I forget that the bank would be closed. Oh! the dismay upon arriving at the bank to find the parking lot empty and then to remember it's Martin Luther King's birthday. Duh!

Yet, to make the day a success I stamped and stamping was very successful. I created yet another adorable card for the upcoming camps, but the battery on my camera died so you'll have to wait til tomorrow to see it. Instead, I'm attaching a fuzzy photo of the "project" we'll be making.

Okay - HOW CUTE IS THAT??? Patterned paper and the Big Shot are good friends! And, I promise to work on my photography skills :0

Now, the other "bad" part of the day. The LOWS... I'm adjusting to the diet, the exercise, the change in my normal routine and I'm getting low in the afternoon. I normally know why, and I'm not concerned. Thursday I'm going to see the endo so we'll get this all straightened out. Only bummer... my A1c went up. I got the results early. Last September I was the lowest ever at 6.6 and now I'm back up to 7.3. I'm attributing it to the "extra" eating I did between Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's and the QUITTING! For the past month since I quit smoking I have definitely eaten more, but I started my diet and I'm doing really well!

See you tomorrow!

Creativity is difficult when LOW

2009-01-19T01:03:00.000-05:00

Hello!

It's 1:04am Monday. I have to be at work at 9:30am. I hate Mondays.

But, I had a very eventful Sunday. Haley and I went to LaGuardia to pick up my mom this afternoon. She landed at 2:30 and we were waiting at the door. We returned to CT, stopped for lunch at Cosi, then went to the Food Emporium for mom to get some food. We were back at her house by 4:30. She was able to see the burst pipe in person. She called the plumber, the electrician and the architect because upon further inspection we came to the conclusion that they were all at fault for the end result!

Haley and I returned home around 5:30pm. From then til now I've managed to participate in an online chat with the other members of my BL-DS team, walk 30 minutes on the treadmill (1.5 miles!), eat, make sure the kids had eaten, assist Marie with a new project, place 3 Stampin' Up! orders and make a beautiful card that will be part of this weeks Stamp Camps! Take a look:

Okay, who's excited to get back to stamping?

I have to tell you all one thing I've known for my whole life, but I've never really shared. Creativity is very difficult when your blood sugar is low. I ran high most of the day due to the anxiety of driving back and forth to LGA, but then after the crazy evening, I dropped to 39! and it is NOT fun to try to be creative at that number. When I'm "normal" in the 100 range creativity comes naturally, freely... give it your own "easy" adjective. When I'm HIGH... no luck and when I drop fast... well you get the picture.

I hope my stampers are psyched for Stamp Camp!
Erin

Frozen Pipes

2009-01-17T23:08:00.000-05:00

The past few days here in Connecticut have been COLD! And cold leads to bad things... hypothermia, black ice and FROZEN PIPES! Yep. Mom and Dad flew South for the winter 10 days ago. And, you guessed it, their pipes froze. In 10 short days! They have a heating coil that wraps around the water main where it enters the house, but dad decided to save some money this year and accidentally shut off the main fuse for this lovely little heater coil. Oops! Luckily we decided to go check the house last night and found the break. It looked much like this:

So, what do frozen pipes lead to...

1. NO STAMPING!

But, I did follow my diet today and managed to do 30 minutes on the tread mill. Oh yes! I am going to lose this weight. No matter what!

Tomorrow I'll be planning some Beautiful cards and projects for the upcoming Stamp Camps. Be sure to check back tomorrow for some lovely photos!

QUITTER

2009-01-17T01:14:00.001-05:00

Many of you don't know, but on December 18, 2008 at 1:00am I smoked my last cigarette. Yes, it's now been 30 days and I'm DONE! I'm a QUITTER. You see, I found TuDiabetes.com about 5 weeks ago and met George from The B.A.D. blog. George is also diabetic and quit smoking 2 years ago, so I emailed him and said "please tell me how you did it." I honestly thought I was the ONLY diabetic who had ever smoked. Guess what? I'm not! So, with George's support, I quit. Call me QUITTER!

I didn't tell the family for a few days and I was completely amused that they did not figure it out. Hello... I was NOT going outside every 30 minutes and even I had noticed that I didn't smell like smoke. Ah well.. they finally got it.

NOW...I'm on to big new things:

1. I'm going to lose 20 pounds between now and August 21. I'm doing this 2 ways: Dee is helping me here at home and I'm joining BL-DS which has been started by a group of friends I've met on TuDiabetes.com. Landileigh is the designated "coach" and we're all the cheerleaders!

2. Stamp Camps are back in full swing with 2 taking place this week. I may have to open it up to 3 nights... the group is growing. We had Technique Tuesday this past Tuesday night. Marilyn, Judy, Eva and Suzy came for class and we had some FUN! Shaving cream, rubbing alcohol, rubber gloves, cotton balls. It was a mess! But the end results were amazing!

Here's a lovely full body shot of just how "full" I've gotten. Yes, I need to lose a few! The profile photo is a few years old and more of a "goal" photo. Hey, it's my blog, and it's me, right?
talk soon,
E

RubberStampPlantation

2008-11-24T16:54:00.001-05:00

I had to Share!

Some of my work is being showcased on http://www.rubberstampplantation.com/. I'm SO honored! If you visit the site, go to the gallery and then explore each of the different areas. The card on the left is in the Floral Gallery. These were some of the cards I made for the CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) show this past February! If anyone is ever in Hawaii, you have to go and visit Deb and the gang.

Blog

2008-11-24T15:14:00.000-05:00

I've done it. It's here. I have a blog. There's some work to be done... like figuring out how to use it, but it's a good start!