If I’ve never mentioned it before, Halloween is my favorite holiday. I’d actually wager that it’s my family’s favorite, so it was essentially ingrained in me from the get go. Some October soon I plan on having my first Halloween party since, oh, college. But this year I’ll be celebrating at a friend’s house party with a snarky costume that you’ll have to see on Instagram! In the meantime, check out DIYs, party ideas, food and cocktails, and of course pumpkins.
Activity trackers aren’t exactly a new fad, and to be honest I’ve been known to make fun of those who are evangelists for them in the past. But ever since being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes a year and a half ago, suddenly all kinds of health issues that weren’t important in the past are a big deal. Carb intake, working out, getting enough sleep – all things that I’m paying way more attention to these days. Also things that Jawbone’s UP2 are helping me track and even improve upon! Hi, Pot. It’s Kettle. Let’s talk.
I stopped wearing a watch years ago because having it bang against my desk and keyboard while designing was enough to drive me crazy. I was happy to find that the band on the UP2 is an adjustable soft rubber bracelet, and I’ve had zero problem wearing it 24/7. After two weeks it’s already become a habit that I’m not eager to break, and keeping track of everything has become like a competition with myself. It even manages to go with my wardrobe when I stack on bracelets – no small feat! And on days when I forget to throw on any accessories it simply looks like a modern bracelet.
My UP2 has been tracking everything from movement to diet to sleep, and yet I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of its functionality. I’m looking forward to experimenting with the idle alert which keeps you from staying in one place for too long, and the alarm that gently wakes you up in the morning by vibrating your tracker.
I’m not a person who’s ever been extremely active, so I have my goal set to 8,000 steps a day. The difference now is that I’m eager to check my steps as soon as I’ve done an activity – like run on the treadmill, gone grocery shopping, or walked my dogs! I wasn’t expecting just how addicting it would be.
Being able to keep track of every bite of food I put in my body throughout the day is incredibly important to sticking to my recommended 45 carb per meal limit. It’s a relief to know that there’s a record of the results somewhere other than in my mind, and that I can go back and look at what I ate when I was having an especially energetic or exhausting day.
For the past six months I’ve been struggling with sleeping well, I believe it to be a side effect of a new diabetes drug that I’m taking. I don’t have a tough time falling asleep – it’s the staying asleep that’s difficult. Because I wear my UP2 to bed it actually tells me how many times I woke up during the night, when I was sleeping light, and when I was in a deep sleep. In the morning it gives me a report and mentions tips like doing light let lifts when I can’t get back to sleep and getting up to do something productive if I’m restless. This has been my favorite function so far!
What I initially thought was a fad has become a part of my everyday life, and a tool in treating my diabetes. At this point I can’t imagine not wearing my UP2 when it even manages to seamlessly blend into my day-to-day, from lifestyle to wardrobe.
This post sponsored by Jawbone. All words and opinions are my own, as always. Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Design Crush producing fresh content!
It’s been a few years since I’ve attended New York Fashion Week, but I always make sure and pay attention to the trends hitting the runways. I like to imagine how I might translate some of them to fit my casual/modern style, but I’m also drawn to the makeup trends. My daily look is classically minimal with the focus on strong black eyeliner on my upper lids and usually red on my nails. If I’m going to step out of that box it has to be good, and usually a little off the beaten path. I’ve got these five looks bookmarked for days this fall and winter when my look is calling for a little something extra.
Australian-born and based Kirra Jamison seems like a really fun gal, if you can judge a person by the art they create. (Pssst… I think you can.) Her large scale abstracts are full of color and shape, some teem with inertia while other resemble 2D sculptures forever frozen on a canvas.
As we roll closer towards the end of the year I find myself make more and more lists. Gifts I’ve purchased for the holidays, dishes I’ll make for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner, projects I hope to complete before December 31st strikes. Lists and notebooks clear some of the clutter from my mind, even if it’s just transferring it to another surface.
Graphic design by day, quilt artist by night, Andrew Steinbrecher is one creative guy. Having always considered himself crafty, a few years ago he put himself to the test by going out on a limb with his quilted creations. Because Andrew’s self-taught he doesn’t feel limited by technique and often intentionally uses wrong processes when sewing. His first (above) remains my favorite. Let’s hope he’l be selling his creations soon!
This season there’s one color I can’t help but see everywhere I look, and that’s green. Green of all hues and shades, super saturated and pleasingly pastel. From home interiors to fashion to everywhere in between, this color that’s usually making a departure come autumn is all of a sudden making a play to stick around!
I love the insinuated, the vague, the outlines of art. One day I hope to have an entire wall filled with works showcasing just those qualities, and Fanny Nushka Moreaux‘s paintings definitely deserve representation when I do. Her garbed women are completely mysterious and seemingly just out of reach.
This week on Design Crush: Lotte Maja Bjerre‘s illustrations remind me of a perfectly coiffed geisha’s hairdo.
So many good things waiting to be bought for my home over in Fine Little Day‘s shop! Iñaki Bergera’s Twentysix Gasoline Stations photo series showcases the beauty of the abandoned.
Such beautiful home goods for keeping and giving from The Vintage Vogue.
I love Anna Hepler‘s rudimentary 3D sculptures so much.
Be sure and try out a few of these 12 October DIYs. Xuan Chen’s Light Threads is full of bold colors and shapes.
The latest jewelry collection from Faris is perfect to pair with just about every outfit.
Don’t you love these icing-like paintings from Calvin Ross Carl?
