The Galloping Horse Slows Down

Today I came home after I dropped the kids off at school and went back to sleep. There I said it. My name is Lacey and I went back to sleep. Go ahead and judge me if you must.

I know I've talked a lot about finding my groove once I had all my kids in school. I certainly haven't found it yet and I don't intend to spend all my newfound free time sleeping. BUT I'll be honest with you. I worked my ass off the last 11 years of my life. I know all of us moms have. So I'm not trying to say that I've had it harder than the vast majority of my friends (especially my military friends), I'm just acknowledging that it was a heck of a lot of work.

So you know what, I'm gonna take a little bit of time and enjoy this. I'm not going to run around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to fill up the empty space. When I don't have something to do I'm going to go home put my feet up and read a book. I'm gonna take that afternoon nap. And yes some days I'm even going to go home and go back to sleep.

Volunteer opportunities galore await me. And I fully intend to jump in and help out. For so many years I've had to say no because of the sheer magnitude of work required to keep a family of six afloat. But this year with seven free hours every day I am for sure less encumbered.  When I get the notice that they need someone to help at the book fair I would love to do that. When I hear the librarian could use a hand scanning and shelving books I can be her girl. When it's time for cardboard challenge day you can bet I'll be there all day helping my kids build wonderful creations.  I've already said yes to Backpack Pals doing my part to make sure that the less fortunate kids at PES don't go hungry over the weekends.  I'm also excited to have time to join a Bible study. To run without the clock ticking in my head that it's almost time for preschool pick up. And to be able to focus a little bit more time and energy on Stella and Dot.

All of that and more await me, I am sure. But not just right this second. Right this second I'm feeling incredibly rested after a perfect morning nap. And I'm trying my hardest not to feel guilty. 

PS -  please let me do a trunk show for you! Pretty please? I would love to!

PPS - look at this sale! I love this scarf!!! www.stelladot.com/laceytrumbo

Coming Full Circle.

I'm going to bear my soul here a little bit so please be kind.

This past month has been very much a whirlwind for me with my Stella and Dot endeavor.  I've had the highs of a promotion and some substantial (for me paychecks), the lows of next to no paychecks and frustration with how to be sustainable in this, and the ambivalence brought on from attending Hoopla.

I want to be careful how I phrase this because attending Hoopla was a great experience and I met some amazing people.  But I kept coming back to my original post that I made when I started this in January about not ever wanting to be pushy or to pressure someone into buying or hosting when they didn't want to. I realized that a few times in the past month I have been pushy, or over the top, in my approach and its because I got caught up in the moment and lost sight of who I want to be in this long term.

One amazing thing that was reinforced over and over again at Hoopla was having a well defined WHY for this business.   I was so inspired in that moment as I wrote my WHY:

I know it might sound fake but its not - I honestly want to be able to give more of my resources (primarily financially) when I see a need.  Its an awesome thing to see an opportunity and be able to jump in right away and not worry about how it will affect my other financial obligations.
On another level I love getting the opportunity to style people.  Its so much fun at a trunk show to get to play dress up with people and show them pieces I love.  I need to get re-focused on that.  When I'm in a good place I can go into a show and be a true stylist.  When I'm not, when I'm feeling insecure, I sit back and wait for people at a show to be interested.  And that isn't fun.  And its not the kind of business I want to have.

In this business you can be successful and have a nice monthly addition of income by just having shows and selling online.  You really don't have to "sign people up" or build a pyramid as so many of my skeptical aquaintances seem to believe.  If you want to build to a substantial income that would replace another job, then you do have to sponsor and grow.  You can choose the kind of business you want to have.  This is probably where the greatest amount of ambivalence has been for me in the past month.  I've had very limited success in sponosring and for the size of business I want to have - that is ok - but for what my heart loves, its not.  I truly love training and coaching people. I've learned so much in the months since I've started doing this and I WANT to share it.  But every time I talk to someone about the opportunity a wall goes up (or worst case - a nasty passive aggressive post on facebook) and I feel like I'm trying to sell magic water at the county fair.

The reason I feel confidence in talking to people about Stella and Dot is because I know first hand (and from seeing it MANY times over) that there really is almost no risk.  Truly anyone can replace their initial investment easily.  Building a sustainable business from there takes more work and is in the hands of the new stylist to decide.  But jumping off and getting started is fun, and exciting, and you have TONS of new, gorgeous jewelry and accessories to help you do it.  To me its so obvious I have trouble explaining it properly.

So this brings me back to my initial reason for starting this post.  1 - to apologize to any who have felt pressured or overwhelmed with Stella and Dot marketing.  2 - to explain to you WHY I want to do this and grow in my business.  3 - to hopefully reach out to someone who has been thinking "I bet I could do that" but is too scared to try.  Because I know you can.  And I will help you.

If you are still reading thanks for indulging me this far.  I truly have the greatest friends and customers I could ever have hoped for.  With much love, Lacey

The Golden Opportunity

Have you ever, even for one second, thought about how fun it would be to have access to all the fabulous jewelry and accessories you could ever want with

 If the answer is "yes" then bear with  me for just a couple of second ....

Right now Stella and Dot is offering the same New Stylist Rebate that I signed up under.  If you sell $1000 in the first 30 days as a stylist they will give you a full refund on your starter kit! What's in the starter kit?  Everything you need to be a successful stylist AND $350 of jewelry.

When I first heard about it I just knew I had to try it.  I thought it might be some work but I felt confident I could make it work.  And you know what - it was EASY!  Truly.  I earned enough for my rebate on my launch show!  Not only that but I also earned tons more free jewelry and commission.  That's worth it in my opinion even if you just do one show and call it quits!  Of course, if you are anything like me you will realize its just too much fun to quit!

And Stella and Dot is pulling out all the stops to make June the PERFECT month to get started.  First of all they are offering $50 in extra jewlery credit to every hostess with a qualified trunk show.  Secondly they are still offering Dot Dollars - so for every $50 a customer spends they get $25 in future credit.  AND our Fall Preview collection launches in just a couple days and let me tell you, its GORGEOUS!

I know I sound like an informercial right now but I passionately believe everything I am saying!  Its as close to a no lose situation as you will ever have to get into business for yourself.

Even just a bit curious? Let me buy you a cup of coffee and chat with you about it!  Out of my area - let's chat on the phone and I'll send you a gift card to treat yourself to that Starbucks!  Come on, what do you have to lose?

Stack It Up

Let's get deep friends.  Let's get real with one another.

I'll go first.

I have never been a huge fan of bracelets.  I love the idea of them but I don't like something banging around on my wrist.  Plus, as a mom, I was my hands all the time and it seems like they get wet and in the water and make more of a mess.  First world problems.  I know.

I have to admit though that once I signed on with Stella and Dot I felt like it was my duty to try to wear more bracelets.  And you know what I discovered.

I LIKE BRACELETS.  I feel so fun and fancy when I have them on.  But the best part is that Stella has so many different styles and many of them fit so nicely and are so light I forget I even have them on!

Until I glance down at my arm and I'm like "oh, well hello there you beautiful things".   Notice I said things.  Because the other thing I've discovered is that when it comes to bracelets its the more the merrier!  I love to stack up a few for a unique style.

I love what my friend Jen did here with her husband's nickname engraved on the bar cuff along with our arrow cuff.  How cute is this?  Also appreciate her less vein-y and less hairy arms then what yours truly is modeling.

And finally if you really like understated see what I did here with our wishing arrow bracelet (just $19!!!!!) and our old visionary bracelet!  Best part is they cinch to fit your wrist so there is absolutely no banging around with these beauties.

Had to throw this one in because this blog is not an ad for the Honda Odyssey! :)

And just wait until you see what I break out when my new summer styles arrive!  I'm so excited I couldn't stop myself from ordering 3 new cuffs!!

Pretty Petals

I have a trunk show tonight - so I'm in a very "yeah!!!  Stella and Dot!!!" mood right now.  Actually, I'm kind of in that mood most of the time right now because the more I experience this company the more enthusiastic I get about being a part of this team.  Its pretty fun, and surprisingly easy and its a little bit like that sorority that I never got to be a part of in college.

So, today, I knew it was time to break out the Birdie Necklace.  I absolutely love this necklace.  Its so gorgeous and unique and I love that you can wear it with or without the petals.... at the same time I have been a little intimidated by it.  I didn't feel like I quite knew what to wear it with.  Well knock me down with a feather when I just paired it with some skinny jeans, a white t-shirt and flip flops and had as many compliments as ever on a piece of jewelry.  I didn't feel silly or overdressed.  I felt comfortable but pretty - like I had put just enough effort into my outfit!

My sweet friend Carrie said I had to capture it and blog about it and I'm glad I did.  Jane Dare was my photog so forgive the double chin and awkward angle!  And yes, that is the new Rivera bag slung over my shoulder.  Loving it!

Here is a selfie I snapped to better show it off ...

So, what do y'all think? Is it a keeper?  What about wearing it with a black sweater top? I think that would be super cute too!!

When Facebook is Dangerous

A couple of weeks ago someone in my uplink for Stella and Dot  started a thread asking what were people's favorite beauty products.  I have to admit that when it comes to makeup, etc, I get pretty lazy.  I find something that works and I stick with it until some catastrophic event makes me find something new (and by catastrophic I mean it makes me start breaking out, or a store within 5 minutes of me doesn't carry it).

Anyway, this thread got me excited to try out some new stuff and since I still have a bit of Christmas money burning a whole in my pocket (thank you Grandma) I took a field trip to Ulta.  Its been a few weeks now and I am SO happy with my new stuff.

First off I wanted to try the new BB cream from Bare Minerals.  Well, apparently its a BB cream, moisturizer, tinted to cover flaws, yada yada yada.  I have to say I absolutely love it.  Its enough coverage that I don't need anything on top of it (well, except around my eyes, but that's another story).  And my skin truly does look really good!!!  I've got a keeper here for sure.  I found it at Ulta but if you live near an Exchange (military friends) you can save a couple bucks.

Next up I finally invested in a decent blush.  I always cheap out on blush and I am actually amazed how much of a difference this makes.  The first time I wore it Ainsley stopped and looked at me and said "you look so pretty Mom".  Wow!  Talk about make my day!  And I didn't tell my mom I had on new stuff and she totally noticed anyway!  Love her!  Anyway, back to the blush.  Its called Two Faced  and I got it in Candy Glow.  I love it.  I love it love it love it.  I also found this at Ulta.  I just asked the girl helping me what she loved and she immediately went to this.  Bonus points that its totally cute!  And its actually a pretty big container so the $30 doesn't seem that high to me.

Finally, this one isn't new but I've been meaning to talk about my favorite mascara for a while.  I buy it through my friend Jennifer who sells Mary Kay.  I use the Ultimate Mascara    and have been for a couple of years now.  This one is not out of laziness but because I think its awesome stuff.  And Jennifer ships anywhere for free so that is a total bonus :)

So that is my beauty roundup.  But before you go here are a couple things I think you NEED to know.    Today is a cold day so I've got on my favorite Fjord flannel from Patagonia and some jeans.  But that doesn't mean I can't still have a little fun with my jewelry.  I just broke out this beauty: the Wishing Arrow bracelet.  I still can't believe how affordable it is!  At just $19 its the perfect little thing to stock up on to have for birthday gifts, teacher gifts, hostess gifts, etc.  There are also an elephant and horseshoe options.  So pretty and fun.  And they are so light and easy you can easily stack a couple or add something else like the engraveable cuff or renegade cluster!  I just got my cuff and that will be another blog because its just too fab to stick at the bottom here like a postscript.

So maybe you're wondering at this point of a blog what the title is all about. Why is Facebook dangerous? Well the answer goes back to the start of this post!   Who knew that one simple, innocent question would send me on a treasure hunt to Ulta that cost $80...sorry if it does the same to you ;)

What I'm Loving in February

It rarely fails that when I'm wearing something from Boden it gets noticed.  They just have a way of taking an item of clothing and giving it a little twist to make it something special.

In fact, as a total aside, one of my most special friendships I owe to Boden.  It was about 5 years ago now that we were visiting a church for the first time when we were new to this area.  I turned around as the service was ending and took in the pretty lady behind me and before I could stop myself said "I love your dress, its got to be from Boden!"  Well, I was right and that lady came to be one of my dearest friends.  And, to get way off topic, I owe my love of Boden to my bestie Troy.  And Troy's birthday is tomorrow.  Happy birthday beautiful lady!

Is it just me or is it totally obvious when I'm blogging on a glass of wine and not much else on my tummy?  I'm sure I will read this tomorrow and cringe!

Back to the topic at hand, I just got the new Boden catalog in the mail.  Its been a while since I've ordered from them but I'm in love with their new offerings.  And they are offering 20% off and free shipping/free returns.  That's hard to beat!  Here is what I'm drooling over:

http://www.bodenusa.com/en-US/Womens-Shoes-Boots/Flats/AR660/Womens-Vienne-Point.html

While these are wild adorable I think I might go with the nude.  I don't have anything in a nice nude shoe.  They also have a slingback that is tempting me mightily.  And, ok, this post isn't supposed to be all about shoes but you have GOT to check out these.  I die.

I love this dress.  In case you don't know, I am a total whore for stripes.  Even at 20% off this is a little out of my price range but I just had to share.

Moving on... Patagonia is having a decent sale on winter stuff right now.  Supposably it will get better on the 19th so stay tuned.  But in the meantime here is some pretty sweet stuff:

I got this dress during the pro deal Family sale and I love it.  Its flattering, comfortable and warm.  You can wear it over leggings or jeans, with boots or flats.   For those with great legs will look super cute with boots and bare legs on warmer days.

Next up is this shirt.  I got my first Fjord flannel a couple years ago on Ryan's recommendation and I cannot say enough how much I love it.  Ryan has 5 of them if that is any indication.   This is a great price on this shirt and with Patagonia's guarantee and quality it is worth every penny.

I could seriously go on and on with stuff I love from Patagonia's website but I'll stop there for tonight.  Feel free to ask questions because we have an embarrassing amount of stuff from them.  Chances are I have it, Ryan has it or we both have it.

Last note.  To redeem 20% off and free shipping at boden you need to enter a code.  The code I have is HI72398K.

Happy Shopping!

How Do You Holiday?

We are finally off on our epic Disney vacation!  It was over a year ago in snowy Kansas that I began messaging with my family to plan this adventure.  It seems hard to believe that it's actually happening  as it seemed like little more than a distant dream for so long.

At the risk of sounding shallow (but, I mean really, you're here to read about my outfits... It's kinda the whole point of the blog) one of the funneat parts of my prep this time was planning what clothes to bring.  This hasn't always been the case.  It's hard to find a balance between comfort and style that doesn't either have you looking like a slob or Gloria at Disneyland on that hilarious episode of Modern Family!
http://abc.go.com/shows/modern-family/video/VDKA0_iwe69sr

This trip is a perfect example of why I love my "sporty mom on the go" wardrobe so much (note for future blogs- talk about that term that my neighbor Cym coined - which now defines my whole clothing outlook.

In the thread of "a picture of worth a thousand words" I'm just going to put up a couple shots of what I'm wearing and then explain.

These pants are one of my very favorite Athleta purchases ever.  And that is saying a lot because I have (and love) a whole lotta Athleta lovin'.
La Viva pants are here.
The price is pretty reasonable to begin with but on a price per wear scale these babies are a steal.

The tank is one of my few lululemon buys.  But dangitall if every piece I have from there isn't well made, comfy and flattering.  dang them for being such overpriced snobs! But I digress.  This tank is one of their Cool Racerbacks... It's nice and long, slim fit and I wear it for both casual and working out. I did get it on sale for $29.  Here is a link to their current line of CRB's.
Cool racerback.

To top it off I have on my most beloved Athleta zip up.  I bought it on a whim last year on sale and now I have a hard time imagining my life without it.  I wish I was exaggerating.  Sadly Athleta didn't make it again this year - but in their fall/winter lines they usually come out with something similar.

The piece de resistance is my sweet new Rebel Cluster Necklace.  Love this thing.  It's versatile so you can wear either chain on its own or put them together.  The length is also adjustable based on your neckline!

Now, don't get my wrong.  I'm not trying to say that I was all high-fashion at Disney.  I was decidedly in the casual and comfortable crowd.  I just like to think you can still look like you gave a little effort while doing it.

Last but not least I have to say I LOVE these flip flops I bought last year.  I found them at Dick's sporting goods but have also seen them other places.  I'm a huge fan of flops but a bit of a snob about them too.  They have to be just right to be cute.
The Reef Stargazer flip flops fit the bill.

All right y'all, time to get back to the magic of Disney.  Peace out.

The Saturday Outfit

If your life is anything like mine (and for the majority of you I think it is) than Saturday's can be very random.  This past Saturday consisted of making a big breakfast for everyone, going to Ainsley's basketball game, cleaning out my car, dropping/picking up Jake from his social skills group and scrubbing my shower.

Its kinda hard to dress for such a varied schedule.  So most Saturday's I end up in some version of workout gear (and believe me, I am not saying that's wrong because if its wrong I don't want to be right).  This week, though, I decided to demonstrate to the fine folks who would also be crowded into the Pinehurst Elementary School gym that I owned more than running tights and fleece jackets.

Enter: The Saturday Outift.

I wish I had taken a full body shot but, alas, I did not.

Here's what you are seeing (and not seeing).  I have on a comfy red flannel shirt that I bought a few seasons ago at Banana Republic.  My favorite pair of BR jeans (so soft, Special Edition straight leg jeans that I can only find at the outlet making me wonder just how "special" they are).  Its a solid standby outfit.  But at the last minute I thought how cute my Sutton necklace would look if I took off the sparkle chain and made it longer (remember, this is the necklace you can wear five ways).  I threw that baby on and I felt like I was actually dressed up!   I was on the fence about this necklace, because of cost, for a long time but I have to say it is becoming one of my favorite pieces!

What do you think?

Find it here:  http://www.stelladot.com/shop/en_us/jewelry/necklaces/necklaces-all

Perfect In A Pinch

This weekend has been a wild one.  Wonderful but wild.  I have spent most of it celebrating one of my dearest friend's 40th birthday but with a 19 mile "Idiot Run" and an elementary school fundraising ball thrown in for good measure.  I had far less sleep but far more to eat (and drink!!!) than my usual weekend.

All this to say morning was not my friend today.  I woke up late to kids clamoring for homemade waffles and very little time to pull myself together. An excellent Sunday to call an audible on attending church...with exception that I was the scheduled scripture reader during our more formal traditional service.

What's a girl to do?

Thanks to my new arrival's to my Stella and Dot collection I have to say that I knew exactly what to do.  I threw last night's leftover party hair into a ponytail, pulled on a black sweater, pinstripe pants and heels, swiped on some makeup and finished the look with the Sutton Necklace.

I started getting ready at 8:39 and by 8:50 we were walking out the door.  The outfit would have been ok ... passable, I suppose, on its own.  But with the addition of the Sutton I actually looked good.  Like I had put some time and thought into my appearance for church.

If you want to learn more about this awesome necklace that is actually 5 necklaces in one follow this link! 

The Debut Blog

I'll be honest.  For a very long time the world of fashion seemed like an egg that I was just not meant to crack.  I was overwhelmed trying to keep up with trends and look like one of the cool girls.

Sometime in my late 20's/early 30's I finally got to the place where I was more comfortable in my own skin.  Along with that came a sense of how I wanted to look and feel.  The pieces slowly began to fall into place.

Comfort has always been important to me.  I can do a few hours in something uncomfortable for the sake of fashion but that's pretty much my limit.  That heavily influences the fashion choices that I make.  As does my lifestyle.  I mean, let's be honest.  There are days that my main activity is scrubbing the floor, making dinner, giving baths and then falling on the couch in exhaustion.  I need my clothes to be functional.  But just because I'm running around like crazy doing the parenting gig doesn't mean I have to look bad while I'm doing it.

One thing that I have found to be totally key is being willing to spend a little bit more on a few key pieces.  There are some things out there that the "fakes" just cannot replicate.  A good pair of jeans, a great pair of boots and you and you can throw on a top from TJ Maxx and look like a million bucks.

Or a white t-shirt and black yoga pants with a really WOW necklace and some black flats - makes you look so put together.

My plan is to try and snap pictures and share on this blog the different aspects of what I'm wearing.   And, of course, to factor in my fun new pieces from Stella and Dot along with the pieces that I've had that I wear every. single. day.

Let me close out my first blog by saying that I approach this whole thing with a good amount of trepidation.  I by NO means consider myself a fashion expert.  I don't want to sound snobby or conceited.  I think what appeals to others about my style is that its approachable.  It looks easy but semi-polished.  Its certainly not high fashion.  I think of it as mom-fashion.

Thanks for reading :)