Thank you readers!

Thank you to everyone that voted for my Skids pictures! I won in the Skids Spirit category!
It NEVER hurts to use your adorable Pug in a photo contest...
Here's the winning shot:

I don't honestly know what my prize will be. It just says great Skidmore gear donated by the Alumni Affairs.... I'll share a photo when my prize arrives though.

Shameless Plug

Since this is my blog, I can do things like beg for votes in a photo contest....
My Alma Mater, Skidmore College, held a fun little phone contest involving a stuffed Thoroughbred named Skids. Of course I couldn't resist participating because I love ponies.
So if you would be so kind, please go vote for my photos!

This LINK will take you to the front page where there are several categories. I have photos in all but Skids to the extreme. The are labeled with: Stacie Seidman '02. The photos take a moment to load so be patient!
Thank you so much!!!!

Thursday's Threads

It's time for another installment of Thursday's Threads!
Admittedly, I stayed up way too late last night after spending an evening at the theater. (If Warhorse comes to your nearest city, GO SEE IT!) So I really didn't put much time and effort into my appearance this morning. But really I think that may make Thursday's Threads that much more entertaining... I mean anyone can post photos of themself looking awesome. Few can pull off a haggard/tired I'm-practically-wearing-a-bathrobe photos...

While sitting and waiting for the show to start last night, Katie showed me a cute photo of a wrap sweater she liked. And my reply was, "Oh! I have two wrap sweaters that I shoved in the closet and forgot all about!" So in my half asleep stupor I pulled one out of said closet this morning. I love the pattern on this one, it reminds me of a sweater I REALLY wanted in high school but never purchased. That one was a shorter zip up model, but the colors are almost the same. Here's a close up:

The sweater is by a brand called Alice and I purchased it at Modcloth about a month ago when I had a 20% of code. It's acrylic which is nice because it will wash AND dry! WIN! Anyway, I wasn't so sure about the look when I checked it out in the mirror initially. I felt a little like I was wearing a bathrobe. But it's really warm and it's really cold here, so I was sold!
Traveling south, my jeans are a pair I've had for probably a year or so. They're from Rue21 and have really cute rhinestone details around the waist and pockets.  But you can't see that under my robe... Sorry I didn't get a close up of those!
Due to the aforementioned cold, I wanted to wear boots. But I wasn't sure which boots to wear. I was thinking a tall boot may give the illusion that I have no legs since the sweater is long. And none of my tall boots seemed like the right match with this sweater anyway. Finally I decided on the Coach boots my mom gave me for Chanukah.

They're similar to Ugg boots. Lined with sheepskin and all that. Very warm, and I think they're pretty cute! They're just the right height to not hide my stubby legs. Plus I'm really warm.
So my final thoughts on the outfit....  I'm basically wearing a robe and slippers to work. But I'm cozy and warm and I love it! I think it's only a small step above actual pajamas, but probably 8 times as stylish. I'd say it's a win!

My latest Lbb delivery...

Yeah yeah I know... I don't need more stuff. But I know you all LOVE seeing my fun presents from Little Black Bag so sit back and get comfy! I'll show off my new goods!
This wasn't a huge delivery this time, just four items. I opened with this Deux Lux Luna Messenger to match my giant purple tote.

It's SO SO CUTE! I mean, clearly I'm biased since I love Luna so much as it is. But honestly it's a great bag. Plenty of room inside. The strap is adjustable too. I have it above on the shortest hole. Also, it is both drawstring and has a magnetic snap so you can be sure it closes securely. Good features! (How cute is my zebra sweater?!)
I was pretty focused this time on increasing the value of my bag, and wound up trading for some less popular but rather pricey items. Sometimes it pays to have weird taste! First is this lip bracelet from Jules Smith:

I think it's adorable. It retailed for something like $40.00 which I really don't think it's worth. The charm is cute and very detailed, but it's not actually silver I don't think. Seems to maybe be pewter? And the cord is a waxed cotton in  periwinkle color. As I said, very cute, but I'm glad I could trade for it.
Next up is a necklace that a lot of the other ladies thought was hideous. And admittedly, it may be a little. But I LOVE IT! It's big and chunky and NEON! I love neon so much. It's not my fault, I was born in 1980. Anyway, this is from BCBG and retailed for $35.00:

 I thought about trying it as a wrap bracelet, but it's a little too big. I like the look, but I think it would slide over my hand.

I saved the best for last. I like to hold you readers in suspense! My last item I had to work a little harder to trade for. I've been drooling over it since it was released but it's only ever been available for trading once before. I even had it in my bag at one time, but had gotten an offer I couldn't refuse so traded it. But this time, in the last hour of my trading time, I managed to snag it! So here it is, the SharK big spike bracelet:

Cute right? I love it. And it's little enough for me and my itty bitty wrists. (The only itty bitty part of me at the moment. See my previous post about cupcakes for dinner and you'll understand why...)

So in other fashioney type things, I finally painted my nails this weekend. I haven't done them in forever!

I used a pretty teal color I got at Walgreens in the after Christmas sale bin from a brand called Bellatrix. The glitter coat is an Indy brand called Hit Polish. The color is "Rock Star". Finally for my accent nails I used some nail strips I got awhile back from LBB. The brand is NCLA. Not a great photo, but it's a palm tree/sunset sort of scene. I needed a tropical pick me up since winter is starting to really get to me.

As always, I'd love it if you used my personalized link if you want to try out Little Black Bag. I'll get a free item to trade with and you will get a discount as well! Click here if you'd like to try it out!

Truthful Tuesday

See?? I'm making the effort! I mean it's Tuesday evening, but that still counts :)
First one is a doozy...
I ate not one but two cupcakes for dinner tonight. Well sort of. I ate one for dinner and one for dessert. But I did run 3 miles at the gym first!

And the other pertains to Ducky. I was thinking just this weekend how the horses didn't seem to be getting too chubby this winter (always tricky to take them out of work without getting them enormous). And then today I removed Ducky's blanket and saw this:

Look at that belly! He could be carrying twins... I guess I shouldn't judge. My belly looks much like his. Whatever the cupcakes were worth it. And I bet Ducky says the same about his holiday cookies!

Thursday's Threads

It's been quite awhile since I've done a "what I'm wearing" post. I don't claim to be the trendiest of trend setters. And I don't always dress my age. But I like to see what other people are wearing, so I figure you might like to also! Probably 10 years from now, it'll be fun to go back and laugh at my outfits...
So here's what I've got on:

This is a SUPER INEXPENSIVE outfit. But I think it's pretty cute. (Obviously or I wouldn't have put it on right?) For particularly trendy items (I mean really, a fox sweater will not be in style for long), I tend to spend less on lower quality since I don't need the item to last forever.

The sweater is by Jolt. I bought it at the VS Outlet which has brands like Jolt and Levi's to name a couple. I think it was 19.99, but I honestly can't remember. It's acrylic so I can machine wash AND dry! Win for me! It's held up well so far.

 The pants are from Rue 21. I got them on sale for 9.99. I actually love them. The color is a little tough to see in the photo but is a beige color. They're denim, so a nice heavy fabric and should definitely make it through the season. What I like about them is they work for all seasons. I got the belt on Ebay for $29.99. I suspect it's not really from Hermes given the price tag, but it IS leather. Very cute.

The boots are by Two Lips Too. I got them last year for under 40.00 I think (it was awhile ago and I'm old, so it's hard to remember). Generally speaking I am anti faux leather shoes. They don't breath like leather, and often are stiff and can cause blisters. That said, these are faux leather and I love them! I don't mind wearing them in inclement weather since they won't get ruined. And the denim blue color is perfect with so many outfits. They're also really comfortable. No blisters from these babies!

Above is what's on my arms. The Hermes bracelet was from ebay also. I love how well it matches my watch! On the right arm I'm wearing some bracelets from Lydell and K.Kreative. All costume, but very cute. I love a good armparty!
Most of you know, I live in New England. It's miserably cold here right now. (I know, I know, it's New England and it's winter) But seriously, so cold:

Yeah. So clearly warm outerwear is a must. I found this old suede jacket in my closet. It says it's from Rue 21. I don't even remember buying it, but it's adorable!

The rest of my warm weather outerwear is courtesy of my awesome mom. She is the most amazing knitter. If you ever want to learn, give me a shout. She teaches lessons. (I have not yet learned... maybe next winter!)
My perfect (adjustable!) ear warmer and mittens:

How cute are those? I know, my mom is awesome.
So that's Thursday's Threads! Maybe I'll try and make it a weekly post. Would you like that? Does my fashion (or perhaps lack of fashion) interest you readers?
Let me know in the comments! I love some good feedback and would love to hear more from all of you readers! (I know you're out there, blogger tells me how many views I get a day).

Truthful Tuesday

I've been meaning to make Truthful Tuesday a regular blog post for awhile now, but haven't done it. Until today!
So what is Truthful Tuesday you ask? Well it's a place for me, Stacie, to admit to you, my readers, something you may not know about me. It could be embarrassing. It could be silly. It could just be a confession.  So here it goes. I have two today.

First, I've been intending to initiate Truthful Tuesday for months now. I think of all kinds of great things to write about all week along. But then it's Tuesday, and I can't remember any of them. Ever. Not a single one. Clearly I need to write them down.

And here's the second:
I own this:

Yep. That's a one piece jammy. Polar fleecey, warm, cozy awesomeness all wrapped up in a single PJ. No it doesn't have a trap door. But yes, it is awesome.

Anything you want to admit to me (and the rest of my readers)? Do tell! We won't judge. Truthful Tuesday is a no judgement zone. Much like that gym that advertises on TV, but without all the sweating.

I ran with friends today!

And it was glorious! Well ok, maybe not GLORIOUS. I mean how glorious is a 7 am foggy and somewhat icy run? Not super glorious.

But it was soooo nice to have company. Running on the dreadmill and even outside by myself was getting super lonely.
I'm still working on waking up before 7 as I'm definitely solar powered. My eyeballs don't think they should be open if the sun's not up. Thankfully I got an awesome Nespresso machine for Chanukah from my Dad and Stepmom. Shot of espresso pre-run? Yes please!

I was also really pumped to try out my new LuluLemon running pants. I got them on ebay since they're sold out already. If you have some extra dough, and live in a colder winter climate, get a pair of these! They're called Dogrunners. They are pants with leggings built-in on the inside.

Do to the weather advisory above, despite my comatose state, I was smart enough to use some reflective and light up accessories on my run. I did NOT remember to put on my reflective vest, but thankfully Katie and Vanessa remembered theirs!
These are some fun lights that I got from Stridebox:

I put this one in my hair. It blinks either white or in color and is super fun. You can also wear it as a ring

 

 

This is one of my most favorite Stridebox items. It's a slap wrap that's both reflective AND lights up. It can stay on steady light, or blink at two different speeds. Love it!

We had a nice run, it started out a little tough since we're all not used to the early mornings. And we really couldn't get moving too quickly due to the slick roads, but all in all, it felt great to be back with the morning crew. Hopefully Chelsea can join us next time!

Hope you can all get in a nice workout today!

Lazy Saturday/Busy Sunday

You know, some weekends are sooooo busy you actually look forward to going back to work. Others... well, aren't busy at all. My favorite kind of weekend is a little of both. And that's exactly how this past one went for me.
Saturday was uncharacteristically warm for January, 55 degrees! But also poured rain allll day. So what's one to do on a rainy Saturday? NOTHING! Well mostly nothing. The horses got new shoes, so I spent a good hour or so cleaning up after that. Rubber floor + hoof clippings + 100% humidity = one very hard to sweep barn floor. I also shortened their manes as they were starting to look like retirees. New shoes and new hairdos really made my boys look good! COME ON SPRINGTIME!
I've put a bit of a shopping ban on myself, and am also in need of dropping a few LBS, which really limits ones activities on a rainy Saturday. I spent some time contemplating what to do with the rest of the day, and decided to take the advice of my pooches:

They suggested sitting around and doing nothing. I decided they were very wise. I spent two hours watching Storage Wars and another 2 watching Bad Ink. Very entertaining.
I had a great night's sleep Saturday and was ready for a productive Sunday. It was a gorgeous day, though a bit overcast. Temps in the upper 40's. Not bad for January! I got up and went into town for a breakfast sandwich from my favorite small town eatery The Villager. I got my sandwich to go, and went to the town "beach" to enjoy the view and Acoustic Sunday on the radio.

Once fed, I headed back home to ride. Yes RIDE! You read that right. I haven't been on a horse in at least a month, and it's been driving me BANANAS! It wasn't a long ride since both Jamp and I are severely out of shape. But it felt fantastic to be back in the saddle. I even got to use my new half chaps and boots!

Rio gets to enjoy vacation all the way through winter, so he didn't have to work. I decided stopping and starting Ducky wasn't worth it either, so he just observed while I rode Jamp.
After riding I was feeling super motivated to continue enjoying the nice day (the sun was even coming out!) so I went for a run. I haven't run outside at home in awhile which means I haven't run any sort of hill in forever. (FL is very flat, as is the dreadmill.) The first mile felt a little creaky, but by mile 2, I felt great! I even considered tacking on another mile, but decided since my last many runs have felt so tough, I should quit while I felt great. I was really excited when I looked at my watch and saw my time, and even more excited when I downloaded the run, and saw I actually ran negative splits! That never happens to me, I usually start out fast and peter out.

While I realize I've run much faster in the past, I felt really good about my workout. I've been struggling so much between the weather and my added weight that it was really encouraging to feel good and see some decent results. I guess I'm back on the running wagon!
What a great weekend! Plenty of relaxing and plenty of fun, healthy activities too! I hope you all had a great weekend also!

Two LBB deliveries on the same day!

Whoa! You've all read about my favorite little shopping game Little Black Bag... Well I've been playing pretty regularly and have all kinds of new fun stuff. I had a bag going during Xmas and another around New Years time. Due to some crazy weather in the Northern part of the US the first one was delayed a bit en route. Anyway, they both arrived yesterday! And it's been a little bit since I've done an LBB post, so here we go! (Please excuse my jammies, but it was late when I took photos!)

First up, is the Betsey Johnson Sequin infinity scarf. My photos aren't great, but it's a purpley color and will match my Luna so well!

Next is another scarf. You can tell it's cold here in CT... This one is the Raj chunky scarf. It's super soft, and though they're a little tough to see, it has little gold sequins throughout it. Adorable!

 I haven't blogged about it, but I have both the purple Luna and silver one. (I know, I know, excessive.) The silver one has gray faux leather on the bottom. I thought it would be nice to have a purse to match so I got this Deux Lux Laurel Canyon Messenger bag:

I also got a cosmetic bag to match. I like sets ;)

There was a great promo at New Year's time, and if you opened you got 4 free samples of NYX makeup. I didn't open at the right time, but did manage to trade for all of the items I wanted to try. I haven't tried them out yet, but I'm excited to!

 Clearly I had silver Luna on my mind with these two bags... I also got some boots to go with her made by Pink Sugar. They're so much cuter than I expected, and also very soft:

My last item was a Deux Lux card case in tan. I have three of them now... That's probably enough ;)

So that's it! I think I did pretty well with these two bags. Can't wait to use all my new stuff! If you're interested in trying out Little Black Bag click here for a discount! I will also get a little something extra if you decide to try it out. Win-win!