I knew I was destined for greatness when Zsa Zsa Gabor said I should be on stage. Yes, me! But then, I felt afraid there could be a black cloud in my future when Sid Caesar told me, “If you don’t have tragedy, you won’t have comedy. Crying and laughing are the same thing but, you can never laugh too hard.”

My blog is about creating our best life possible and staying positive, despite terrible circumstances. The Candy In My Pocket chronicles my dramatic days as a top designer commissioned by celebrities, world leaders, and other luminaries; my (secret) debilitating and death-defying battle with diabetes; and my struggle to hold on to myself and those I cared about along the way.

I want this to help people remain optimistic in the worst of times – no matter what personal or professional challenges they’re dealing with. And, I’d like to help raise awareness about the deadly but little-known symptoms and consequences of diabetes.

As of 2019, an estimated 463 million people had diabetes worldwide (8.8% of the adult population). Diabetes at least doubles a person’s risk of early death. In 2019, it was the cause of approximately 4.2 million global deaths. Diabetes can cause many serious long-term complications including cardiovascular disease, stroke, kidney failure, Charcot foot, nerve damage, blindness, amputation, and cognitive impairment.

We all have challenges – and need stories exemplifying how to live our best lives – or, at least, laugh while trying! That said, this is not a self-help place or a “What to do” site. It’s more about “What NOT to do” blog. I want this to be fun and adventurous, sometimes-scary – a place that will take you out of your life, around the world, and then, leave you in a better frame of mind than when you started.