#PutOnPurple

Happy Put On Purple day! Today, my husband and I are wearing purple for me, for all people who are are affected by lupus, and for lupus awareness.

This is the Lupus Hand Sign:

And these are my purple shoelaces.

To all the people who wore purple today for lupus awareness, thank you for your support and for helping spread the word!

Get Ready to PUT ON PURPLE!

Get ready for it! This Friday, people all over the country will Put On Purple for lupus awareness. This is my most favoritest day of Lupus Awareness Month! (Can you tell I'm excited?) It's a fun way to bring attention to a disease that is largely unknown and misunderstood even though it affects 5 million people.

So how does it work? Just put on your purple clothes and/or accessories and tell people why you're doing it. Even a conversation as quick and simple as,

"Nice purple shirt."

"Thanks! I'm wearing purple today for lupus awareness."

can lead to a great conversation or someone googling lupus for the first time. 

And please take a selfie, too! I'm typically not a fan of them, but when it's Put On Purple day, I'm all about the selfies...Selfies for a great cause! Just don't forget to tell people you're wearing purple for lupus awareness - maybe give a shout out to a friend or family member with lupus - and use the #PutOnPurple hashtag. It's so easy! So please help spread the word.

I'll be wearing my "BRAVE" bracelet for myself and a purple outfit for all the people who are impacted by lupus. Who's going to join me?

For more tips and ideas to make the most of Put On Purple, click here.

Purple Shmurple

Purple is not my favorite color. In fact, I despise purple so much that I would pick pink--which I often claim is my least favorite color--over purple any day. I don't really have a good reason for my strong dislike of the color purple. I think I was just born this way.

...Then I got lupus. Purple is the color for lupus awareness. When I'm having a lupus flare, I have a bracelet that I wear to encourage me throughout the day. It's purple (of course), has a butterfly charm (butterflies are a lupus symbol because of a butterfly-shaped rash many lupus patients have on their face), and says the word "BRAVE" to remind me to be brave even in times when I feel weak or afraid. When I wear it, my husband knows that I'm having an extra hard day, that I will need some extra encouragement, and I will probably struggle to accomplish simple tasks. (If you come over my house when I'm wearing my lupus bracelet, expect to walk into a mess.)

For Lupus Awareness Month, my life is covered in purple: purple wardrobe, purple jewelry, purple profile pics, purple pens...A lot of purple. I believe so much about lupus awareness (see why here) that I am actually excited to don my least favorite color for the cause.

On Friday, May 16, 2014, the Lupus Foundation of America is doing a Put On Purple campaign. It's easy to participate. Here's what you do:

1. Put on purple.
2. Tell people why.

To help spread the word even farther, take a pic and post it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and whatever other social media you like. This will give you a chance to take a selfie for a great cause! (How often do we get to say that our selfies change the world?)

This Friday, I'll be wearing purple for lupus awareness, for myself, and for all the people who are impacted by lupus. Who's with me?