LuLaRoe: Fear No Print

LuLaRoe is pretty well known for the craziness of their prints! Personally, I think it's a great reputation to have, but I know that many of us may find busy prints daunting. I'll be the first to say that this print in the Nicole dress wasn't something I thought I would ever wear. However, a talk with my favorite cosmetology friend taught me that it is important, and very simple to break up the busyness of a piece.

 

Let's take this Nicole dress as our example. It is nuts! Every inch of it is packed full of rich color and texture. This print is definitely a DTY type 3 dress. It is a picture of texture and warmth. But it can also be pretty overwhelming! First things first, this piece needs to be surrounded by solids. Brown belt, to find your waist, or draped on your hips, and solid brown boots. A simple jean jacket or vest will frame the fun of the print, and tone it down to a manageable yet fabulous level. If you're loving the busy, boho style, be brave and throw a cream lace duster cardigan over this beauty, and some braids in your hair! (Since I just wrote that, I absolutely need to hit up target now and try it! 😱) 

 

So we used some solids to break up the intensity of the print, but now comes the fun part. With a busy print you get an overload of color, which gives you an entire spectrum of options for accessorizing! Bronze and gold metals, glass beads, bone beads, wood, seashells, minerals and gems! Seriously, how gorgeous would a bronze cuff be with this dress? Metal earrings? Gah! 

 

 

I pulled out some of my favorite pieces and discovered that this dress is basically made for me! But here's a little secret just for you ladies, and it's going to make you want to buy a bronze cuff of your own: this dress isn't mine. It's yours! That's right! This gorgeous, warm, boho Nicole is going in the giveaway stash!!!!

That's right! I now have a minimum of five items for our five weeks of giveaways coming up in June, and I'm not necessarily going to stop collecting goodies for you all, because, let's face it, I'm having way too much fun, aaaaand I really kind of like you guys!

Love ya! 😘

To join in on my LuLaRoe journey, gets tips and critiques on LLR styles, and to keep up on upcoming giveaways, join my to-be shopping group: www.Facebook.com/LularoeSerenaMcRae

To follow me on Instagram: @lularoeserenamcrae

www.Facebook.com/LularoeSerenaMcRae

LuLaRoe and The Incredible Irma

Okay, so yeah, I'm over here working my tush off cleaning my kitchen floor (seriously, you don't even want to know the details), and my thoughts keep coming back to, "Dang am I comfortable!" 

Today I am in the beloved, top-selling outfit for moms everywhere, the Irma top and butter-leggings! I tried to figure out how on earth to show it to you ladies with only myself, a three-year-old and a two year-old at my disposal. So here's my Real Housekeepers Of America pin-up, so you can see the AWESOME combination of baggy tunic with flattering fitted sleeves. 

 

I have been all over the place with this top.  I thought it made me look like a bag lady the first time I tried it.  That was with the recommended two sizes down from my actual size. Bag lady. Two. Sizes. Down.  What the heck kind of top is that?  Next I was in denial and tried out an Irma in my actual size.  This time I was beyond bag lady. I'm talking sail boat proportions. It's a good thing I didn't step outside, because it was a windy day and I probably would have made it to New Mexico. Bag lady. Kite lady. Finally I tried again, but I went only one size down, to go for a legitimate tunic/dress type look.  Ladies. This is it.  Goldilocks freaking loves Irma tunics now.  

It has the perfect balance of flowy fabric, with the fitted sleeves. It doesn't hug under my arms like your average top, which means no sweat circles!! Say what?! I am a sweaty gal. I love this feature. And let's not forget the length! For some the idea of a booty in leggings is a sin, for me, I love but don't flaunt my baby apron, left over from having two kids in two years. The Irma is coverage. Rock those crazy leggings like you are still 16, but throw an Irma on top and you'll look as fab (and appropriate) as you feel.  

Coverage.

Bag-lady fashion potential.

Mom life.

But the Irma doesn't stop there. Like every piece of LuLaRoe you can up-style the life out of this top. Seriously, instead of ogling desserts you'll never bake on Pinterest, just look up the world of possibilities with Irma. Belts. Knots that look like roses. Cinching in the waist with a hair tie, for an ultra flattering look. Irma as a swim suit cover-up. All this, and no underarm sweat circles.

Go on. Get an Irma. 

 

To join my to-be boutique, have a chance at winning some LuLaGoodies, and follow along my LuLaRoe journey, join my group here: www.facebook.com/groups/LuLaRoeSerenaMcRae

To follow me in Instagram: @lularoeserenamcrae

Growth!

Six months ago my mornings were a mixture of depression and anxiety about the following day. If there was dishes in the sink I would literally cry through washing them, while my children screamed for breakfast. Some days I would forget to feed my children until lunch time, because I was too depressed to feed myself. I was malnourished. I was given doctor's orders to drink protein shakes even when I didn't think I could. I needed more than I was giving myself, but I thought more sleep, more peace and quiet was what would heal me.

I visited my sister, who is an early bird, and she had to wake me up every morning. She, as older sisters do, told me, "You don't need more sleep. That's not the answer. You need more activity. Get up early, set a schedule."  If someone else would have said this to me, I probably would have given them the, You-Don't-Know-What-You're-Talking-About-Because-You-Don't-Have-Children Speech.  But my sister is different.  As one of the strongest, most independent women I know, I was like, "... Okay."  

And I did. 

I went home and set my personal alarm to 7:00am. And the next morning I didn't snooze it. I made my kids breakfast. Nobody yelled at me. I didn't cry.  Did I take a nap with my kids that day? Heck yes I did!!! But this time, I deserved it.

This decision to change has snowballed, and it hasn't stopped.  My visit with my sister was just two months ago, and since then, I have walked three mornings a week at 8am, and my enthusiasm has gotten a friend to join me on those mornings, and is helping him battle his depression.  The other days of the week I get up and start my chores without delay. 

But that is not all.

I finally decided it was time to take charge of all of my habits. I joined Weight Watchers, and lost 8 pounds in my first month.  I am about to reach a weight I haven't seen for over two years.  I am planning meals, and buying more produce, and actually eating it before it goes bad!  And you know what?  I can take my kids out for ice cream, watch their joy and not feel sad.  I am finally balanced and happy, and claiming more healthy habits in my life!  And when I absolutely need some Super Nachos from Paco's, I budget it into my day, and I eat it, and I love it!

I decided I needed time for me, so I reached out, and found a job, photographing inventory for a LuLaRoe consultant.  One night a week, I get to chat with a lovely woman while doing work that makes my back hurt, and I get to think about exposure and white balance, while doing something that directly blesses someone else.  And then I take home my paycheck in clothes, drape them over my shrinking body, look in the mirror and love myself.

Today I got up at 7:15am, did a load of laundry, washed all the dishes and cleaned the counter tops, hung up the laundry to dry, walked two miles, sweated out an entire pound, showered and fed my kids all before 10:30am.  Six months ago I would have climbed out of bed at 10:30 in tears

And then I realized that I now have the confidence and the capability to run my own business, and to do it well. So I took the plunge and signed-up to sell LuLaRoe. I'm going to make money. I'm going to have something that is mine. I am going to help my family gain financial freedom.  And among these goals I am going to make it a top priority to help women see themselves in a new light.  I want to help women to transform their confidence and their lives the way that I have in these past months.  I want to help them love themselves, the way I have learned to love myself!

 

If you'd like to join me on my LuLaRoe journey, feel free to join my group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1588650218132032/

Self-Love and LuLaRoe

Let me tell you a story!

I had my two babies very close together. By the time I was coming out of the babymoon of my second baby, I didn't have a single piece of clothing that fit right. Everything has been stretched to 41 weeks pregnancy size, and spit up on, and stained and I just wore these ratty old clothes and it made me feel like a martyr to the cause of motherhood. 

A year later, I had bought a couple of jean shorts and some new tee shirts, but nothing seemed to fit right after all my body had been through in the last two years. Then enter LuLaRoe! I was invited to a party on Facebook, and saw a maxi skirt that I would have rocked in highschool, but I felt like, as a martyr to motherhood, that I was destined to wear stained black and grey for the rest of my life. 

I got crazy for a minute; I bought the skirt.

 

And then I was suddenly enveloped in this incredible world of self-love.  These clothes were made for me! Who else refuses to buy yourself nice clothes because you want to reach a weight-loss goal first? That's what I was doing. Eyeing a $150 dress from mod cloth, that I could buy when I lost 60 pounds. It felt like punishment and torture.

Then I bought myself a $48 knit dress, with a full circle skirt, that was blue with red sunglasses all over it. It was BETTER than that mod cloth dress, and it was kind to my body. Suddenly, in the middle of my weight/loss journey, I had an adorable dress, that rocked my body, and felt good! I didn't have to fidget with it or be embarrassed. I posted a picture in my new dress on Facebook and found a community of women who lifted me up, and reciprocated to me that I am beautiful! 

I. Am. Beautiful.

 

A year later, now finding the most measurable success with Weight Watchers, I have signed up to become a fashion consultant to this company that has helped to lift me up. It has helped me to not plan to reward myself when I get there, but to reward myself now, while I am on the journey, doing my best! I deserve it! I deserve it for doing well, for being healthy, and for being and LOVING me!

Thank you LuLaRoe, and thank you Weight Watchers! 

And thank you to everyone who has supported me on this journey! Let's open the doors to self-love to as many women who want to come in!

Feel free to join me on my journey here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1588650218132032/