Lace & Pearls

A Seattle Style blog. Helping women who struggle with their personal style or those who just need a fashion fix!

2016 Goals

2016_Goals_January

Now that it’s officially 2016 I thought it would be a great to revisit my 2015 goals and share some new ones.

2015 Goals:

  1. Get 7.5-8 hours of sleep per night For the month of November and December this goal was nonexistent. Going back to work last week and being on a schedule really kicked my butt back into gear and has made it easier to go to bed at a decent time.
  2. Work out 4-5 days a week I have been walking 3-4 days a week, so I consider this goal achieved. Now I need to up my cardio and push myself to do more.
  3. Lose 7 pounds In 2014, I lost 11 pounds and had planned to take off an additional 7 in 2015. I didn’t reach this goal, but I did maintain my weight from the previous year.
  4. Get out of debt This goal is ongoing and will be completed this year. I have already made a lot of headway and just need to keep it up.
  5. Worry less  Goal complete. I  have my friends and family to thank, along with exercise, diet, and blogging. Through blogging I have found purpose, creativity, and friendships. I am more confident then I’ve ever been and grateful for all the wonderful people I have met through this blog.

2016 Goals:

Personal

  1. Change up my workout routine Exercise has always been a part of my life, but it’s time to up the intensity.
  2. Get 7.5-8 hours of sleep per night This needs to becomes a habit.
  3. Loose 10 pounds I still need to drop some weight for health purposes. The first two goals should help here.
  4. Pay off Debt I am really looking forward to completing this by the end of the year.

Blog

  1. Product Development  I am starting my own jewelry line and hope to launch an Etsy shop this Spring or Summer. This venture is terrifying and quite a learning curve, but it has been fun.
  2. Photography/Editing Photos I need to learn how to use my DSLR and edit photos using Photoshop.
  3. Editorial Calendar Plan posts in advance and not the weekend before. I would like to be working 2 weeks ahead in my schedule.
  4. Improve my Writing Writing is hard and does not come naturally for me.  I hope I can improve in this area and develop content at a faster pace.

What do you want to accomplish this year?

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What I’ve Accomplished in One Year of Blogging

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Photos by Michelle Dorman Photography

Dress: Comme Toi (similar) | Necklace: Stella & Dot | Bracelet: J.Crew (similar) | Rings: Gorjana (similar here & here) | Watch: Marc by Marc Jacobs| Shoes: Cobb Hill (similar) |Lipstick: Bite Beauty (color Moka)

On Tuesday I shared what I learned in my first year of blogging. Today I am covering what I’ve accomplished along with my plans for the future.

Accomplishments

  • Finding a Photographer For the majority of the year, my husband took my outfit photos. Recently I decided to step it up a notch and hire someone. My husband was doing an awesome job, but he wasn’t really feeling it and sometimes it was a struggle to coordinate a time to get photos in. It was time to hire a professional. I started working with Michelle a few months back, and I am so glad I did. She is awesome to work with and is amazingly talented.
  • Site Upgrade Lace & Pearls recently upgraded to a self-hosted site. Migrating the site was very time consuming and took about a month to complete. Lucky for me, my husband created a test site so I was able to keep the live site active while I worked on the new one. I got the theme from 17th Avenue. This site has the sweetest templates. I highly recommend it.
  • Blogger Events I attended my first blogger/fashion event last month and it was a complete whirlwind to connect with bloggers in person. I found comfort in our similarities  (not telling our peers that we blog or how people don’t understand what we do as bloggers).  Madeleine, who I met at the Fashion First event wrote this post on things bloggers are tired of hearing. It’s hilarious but unfortunately true for some.

What’s Next:

  • Product Development I am currently focusing on defining my niche and trying to come up with a product that I can develop for my brand.
  • Photography/Editing Photos I need to master Photoshop stat! In all seriousness though, it seems like everyone and their dog is an awesome photographer. It is time for me to step up my game and learn how to use our DSLR and Photoshop.
  • Continued Learning In addition to photography, I am also taking some eCourses on blogging and developing a business. I’m excited to take this site to the next level after I implement what I learn.
  • Blogger Conference I would love to attend a blogger conference next year, either Simply Stylist or Alt Summit. I think it would be an awesome opportunity to network and continue learning.

Lace & Pearls would not be what it is without all of the love and support from you guys. So I felt it was only appropriate to include a list of thank yous.

Thank Yous

  • Mom You’re my biggest supporter since day one. You have read every post and have left a comment on the majority of them. Thank you for always being present not just with blogging but also in life.
  • Jason (the backbone of this blog) You have endured everything throughout this process and have worn multiple hats (photographer, editor, web developer). Lace & Pearls would not be what it is without your hard work and willingness to help. You’re unbelievably patient and have taught me so much.
  • Linda You are the second person to subscribe to my blog  via email (my mom was the first), and though we have never met I am grateful to have your support throughout this journey. I remember being tickled when you left a comment, it might have been the first comment that I received that wasn’t from my mom. When I told my mom,  she was like oh that’s my friend Linda. Thank Linda, you’re the best!
  • Mil & Jules From South by Northwest. Your friendship is one of the best gifts that I have received since starting this blog. Not only are you two smart, beautiful, and funny, but also compassionate and supportive. I need more friends like you in my life. Love you both!
  • Michelle For upping my photo game and capturing my personality in the best way. You’re an amazing photographer! I look forward to working with you more in the future.
  • Everyone else There are so many people who I am grateful to have connected with. I would love to list everyone by name but don’t want to leave anyone out. So I am sending one big thank you to anyone who has read, commented, or engaged with me in some way.  I read every comment and respond to each one. Many thanks to you all!  Sending a big hug.

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Related posts:

  1. What I’ve Learned from One Year of Blogging
  2. 3 Year Blogiversary + The Prettiest Tulle Dress
  3. How to Stay Motivated + 2 Year Blogiversary
  4. 4 Years of Blogging: Learnings and Accomplishments

What I’ve Learned from One Year of Blogging

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Photos by Michelle Dorman Photography

Dress: Comme Toi (similar) | Necklace: Stella & Dot | Bracelet: J.Crew (similar) | Rings: Gorjana (similar here & here) | Watch: Marc by Marc Jacobs| Shoes: Cobb Hill (similar) |Lipstick: Bite Beauty (color Moka)

I started this blog because of my love for fashion and the need for creativity. Prior to making an industry switch to healthcare, I worked in fashion for over 10 years. When I left fashion, I missed the environment and decided to create Lace & Pearls. With blogging, I have a new-found confidence, improved my writing, and have made some awesome friendships. For my blogiversary I will be sharing what I’ve learned, and on Thursday what I’ve accomplished.

What I’ve Learned

  • Blogging Community Overall the blogging community is pretty friendly. I have made connections with people all over the world and have been fortunate to connect with other bloggers in my area. I am grateful for these relationships. Having support in this industry is the best food for your soul and finding people with similar interests is life-changing.
    • On the flip side, everyone is not going to like you, and that’s ok. If you follow someone who doesn’t reciprocate your friendship it can be hard to not take it personal. You can let it roll off your back and continue to follow them, or move on.
  • Writing is Hard I struggle with this every day, and as much as I want to be good at it, it is something that I continue to work on. I might never master it, but hopefully I will be better off then when I started.
  • Blogging is Time Consuming Blogging requires you to wear a lot of hats (writer, photographer, social media guru), doing all of these things can be extremely time consuming. I am trying to find a balance. I primarily want to be cognizant of my family and friends and always make time for them.
  • So Much To Learn There is a lot to learn about blogging. I find it to be overwhelming. I am constantly wanting the community to pause so I can play catch-up. The best thing to do when I feel this way is to start off small, and focus on learning one thing at a time.
  • Network Reach out to those who you admire and the result may surprise you. I have done this several times and have been able to connect with some awesome people. That is not to say that the outcome will always be rosy, but it’s definitely worth putting yourself out there.

Come back on Thursday for the second half of this post and to read about what I’ve accomplished and plans for the future. Thanks so much for reading!

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Let’s connect: Instagram | Twitter| Bloglovin

Related posts:

  1. What I’ve Accomplished in One Year of Blogging
  2. 3 Year Blogiversary + The Prettiest Tulle Dress
  3. How to Stay Motivated + 2 Year Blogiversary
  4. 4 Years of Blogging: Learnings and Accomplishments

Fashion First

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Photos by Michelle Dorman Photography

Dress: J.Crew (similar) | Shoes: Kate Spade (similar) | Necklace: J.Crew Factory (old) | Bracelet: J.Crew (similar) | Rings: Gorjana (similar here & here) | Watch: Marc by Marc Jacobs |Purse: Marc by Marc Jacobs (similar)| Lip gloss: M.A.C in color Sinnamon

This weekend was jammed packed with blogger festivities. On Friday night I attended the Fashion First runway show. Bailey from Hot Dress Hot Mess was kind enough to extend the invite.

Fashion First is the longest running and largest independent fashion show in Seattle. This year was it’s 12th year, so the theme was 12th Year/12th Man, a nod to the Seahawk’s recent run of form. The runway show benefited the Inspired Youth Project and the Crescent Moon Foundation. The event raised a little over $100,000. It was pretty incredible seeing the community come together for a good cause while indulging in our love of Fashion. I’m excited to attend next year’s event.

Bailey is such a sweetheart and her dress was stunning and fit her like a glove. Here’s a pic from the night. My highlight of the night was getting to know Bailey, meeting Olga from Explore Your Bliss, and Madeleine from Seattle Stylista. They are such sweet girls and were a blast to hang out with. I also got to meet Britney from Pumps and Plaid, Jenn from Hello Rigby, Aika from Aika’s Love Closet, and the sweet Tina from Just a Tina Bit. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to shoot my outfit for the event but you can check out photos from it on my Instagram.

On Saturday, I meet up with Juilanna from Blush & Camo. This was our first time meeting. We immediately hit it off and chatted for several hours over lunch. She is such a doll and absolutely gorgeous and smart! I can’t wait for our next hangout. Here’s a photo from our meetup.

Now let’s talk about this dress. I love the silhouette and print. I got this dress a few years back and wore it to a wedding and unintentionally matched the wedding party. Oops! Pairing it with coral accessories was a no-brainer and I loved the final look. The cork material and coral cap on these flats are such a delight and very Kate Spade. I really should wear them more often. They can go with a lot of things and are fairly comfortable.

Shop the Post:

Let’s connect: Instagram | Twitter| Bloglovin

Related posts:

  1. 5 Reasons For Saying No
  2. 5 Year Blogiversary & A Blogging Break
  3. Lace & Pearls Jewelry is Open for Business!
  4. New Year’s Reflection: Stressed, Overweight and Tired!

6 Debt Reduction Tips

11442069295_8e5b8ac486_z[Photo credit: Lendingmemo]

My husband and I are currently in the process of paying off our credit cards (one of my new year resolutions). Getting out of debt is more than just paying things down, it’s changing your routine and breaking bad habits. I thought it would be helpful to share my experience and hopefully inspire some others.

  1. Create a Budget: My husband and I have been using the budgeting system YNAB (You Need a Budget) for a few years. It a little complex but once you get the hang of it, it’s totally worth it.
    • Challenges: YNAB encourages users to combine their checking and savings into one account and use the YNAB system to do checks and balances. The YNAB interface is your source of truth. This helps users stick to their budgets and not overspend.
    • Benefits: You can create various categories for your budget, plan for the future, and allocate your money down to the dollar in order to save.
  2. Develop a Strategy: Start with the card that has the lowest balance, and then proceed to the next. The idea is to create a snowball effect and use the amount that you used on the previous card for the next in line.
  3. Change Your Mindset and Lifestyle: This one is tough. My old self would come home from work and do a little online shopping, my favorite past time. I kid I kid, but not really. To break a bad habit try to stay busy – work out, cook a good meal, etc. Find new interests and hobbies.
  4. Unsubscribe from Retail Emails: This tip is not for the faint of heart, but for those who are serious about getting out of debt. I have not made this leap yet – how could I unsubscribe from my favorite retailers (J.Crew and Loft)!
  5. Create an Emergency Fund: During this time you will also want to save some cash. Pick a dollar amount and put that same amount away every month. Soon you’ll find that you have saved a lot of cash, and who doesn’t want that. This way if an emergency comes up, you don’t have to rely on your credit card and fall back into old habits.
  6. Give Yourself an Allowance: Nobody said you have to go cold turkey. It’s not easy to stop spending if this is the lifestyle that you have grown accustom to. Allow yourself some spending money to use however you like. Just make sure to stick to the amount you have budgeted. You don’t want to jeopardize all your hard work.

I hope you find these tips helpful. If you have some of your own advice, please share it in the comments.

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