The Lovely Spotted Flamingo

Cranberry Sauce and tips for Holiday Survival

Huh, What does that even mean?!*?

This is A PSA reminder to help you through the holidays and beyond!

Thanksgiving, your daughter’s wedding planning to revival a royal’s, graduation and all the other really big things you have spent planning and worrying about ……… those are happy yet stress inducing times which kind of spoil the joy of the actual event.

Think about the big holiday meals you made and were focused on the details and during clean up you find the canned cranberry sauce hiding on top of the dryer in the kitchen adjacent laundry room, the corn on the cobb you find at 10 pm cooked on your stovetop during clean up long after your guests are in their pj’s at home after a big BBQ or how about the worry about the wedding planning and life hands you a pandemic to shut it all down or you had to go to plan B at the courthouse or backyard and Facetime your grandma to include her.

Oops and more oops happen in life, and life goes on. Read that again, LIFE GOES ON. Unless the world comes to an end or another really extreme event happens, life will go on. A lot of us have this end of the world association when the tiny details don’t go as planned. What if, what if, what if………well how about what if I stopped worrying….. you might just find some peace and happiness.

Before you get depressed if you’re a Pinterest Queen, details are cute, some people will notice, but extreme details are important to only you, YES……… mostly because the only one who knows if something wasn’t as planned is YOU. Even Jennifer Houghton of Turtle Creek Lane has oops all the time and she is positive and rolls with it to make something even better.

Try re-thinking things in baby steps and test it out this holiday season. Don’t be hard on yourself. Other people don’t pay that much attention because they are stressed about their own lives, and the rest who want to pick on you…. they don’t pay your bills and you really don’t need that kind of mean in your life, and maybe your relationship with them gets downgraded a bit in 2021.

I am an improvisor and a make something out of anything silver things person. It is my talent, I share DNA with highly creative people and it is my professional training……… read I am not a fan of reading directions. I always take the scenic route, it is more interesting.

Don’t let burnt cookies spoil your holidays! Enlist helpers and don’t critique your elves. Look at the new perspective they bring to holidays, when your mom is gone or the kids are on their own, them folding the happens not according to the Pinterest photo and directions you downloaded and rehearsed with them didn’t matter at all

xo, Tracy Lynne

Scary, not so scary

“Clothes have super powers everyday, not just on Halloween!”
Tracy Lynne

Life is scary even when it is going smooth and easy. I am never thrown or judged by someone’s appearance whether the look is a power look, a “vanity” look (as perceived by popular culture/social media), a just rolled out of bed in my sweats look, or any other descriptions you want to give.

There is way more to anyone than the costume they are wearing that day. Real life is like being in a movie or play 24/7, 365, and you dress for the part you want to be that day, the things you want to ignore, or the upgrade you want. It’s not celebs and entertainers who do this, it is every single human on this planet.

Humans nature is that people take 1 billionth of a second upon first meeting you (first time ever or every time) and the brain sets up how they are going to re-act to you. Good or bad, it is inevitable. Some of us have worked hard to slow the clock down so we can gather more facts. But mostly it is that quick vibe you send out that sets up the scene in life for how our interactions go. And now we have Facetimes and Zooms (pants optional EEK LOL!) Even if you are audio only that sends a video and your tone is your character’s costume.

I can edit this photo anyway I want and change what you think which is quite powerful. People can edit their in person appearance any way they want even without trying. Add sunglasses or ear buds when you come in contact with others (socially distant of course) and people get the msg to leave you alone. If they work at costuming and directing the story, watch out and be prepared for some WHOPPER sized lies, or not depending on the person and their personality.

We all have super powers 9even those who don’t see them) and chose how we use them. Chose wisely and kindly.

Best life in this moment, Here and Now

When I see living my best life pics on the ‘gram and the cyber world………. I pause and think yeah (mostly people I don’t really know) and then I think, I truly hope you understand the whole meaning of “best life”.

Goals are fabulous, they motivate us ’cause we all need that carrot to give us purpose and move us along. But sometimes we are so fixated on the goal, we do not enjoy the journey. Or we are so hung up on what has happened in the past that we are distracted from truly living the best life.

As a former worrier and over-thinker, I can see times in my life I let all the busy stuff rob me of the joy of the moment. This moment and then next few are all I have “control” over. It is up to me to decide if I am enjoying the here and now.

At 53 times around the sun and an independent, Taurus, I always knew what was inside was strong, but this year and the extended pause has taught me how much power within I have. Like atomic energy and the dreams as big as Elon Musk’s. I am typing this 5 miles from the Space Center in FL so I might as well go with space and SpaceX references.

We all have this power, but a lot of the times we have distractions and trouble finding it. It is hard to address finding the power. Scary hard. Sometimes were are not ready for it.

I have read a lot of fiction and self-help and memoirs over this year and all very insightful. A lot of it is the same message, written differently. My #1 person to inspire always is #RickSpringfield . Yes the Jesse’s Girl guy. People who know me, know I am a huge fan and have a #YCMTSU personal history. And many of my friendship are because he gave them to me (he is a friendship maker.) RS is way more talented than most people know and he is given credit for. What I love most about him is that he is truthful about his life’s ups and downs. He has put a lot of the downs and bad stuff out there. And he has given me some fabulous personal advice in brief chats we have had in my fandom life with him. It wasn’t rock star and crazy women in her 40’s super fan interactions. It was just 2 people chatting and he said something really brilliant that I replay often when I need patience or a mental time out to re-think the moment at hand.

I finished the other day Jennifer Allwood’s Fear is Not the Boss of You (gonna read it again) and she really hit home. I read Judi Holler’s Fear is Not My Homeboy beginning of the year which is good, but it is a different message and POV. I am not fearful but love to hear other’s thoughts on things. I seek advice and direction in people different than me to grow. Jennifer has a being ready for it chapter which is very powerful. Fair warning she does add a more religious tone toward the 2nd half. If you are not religious just mentally switch GOD for something else that represents faith/hope or anything else that speaks to your soul. Don’t get hung up on the religious tone.

Now I am reading Matthew Mc Conaughey’s #Greenlights, page 35 and I had the same feeling as Rick Springfield. Right at the beginning he puts all the stuff about himself out there, the good, the bad and the ugly. And then he dropped a big bomb “Truth is only disturbing if you’re lying.” I am very excited to read more. There is way more to him than that pretty face and charming voice.

The common thread in all this people who are inspiring me are all people who have found a way to be grateful and in tune with the moment. RS talks a lot of about having it all and living the dream life and being so unhappy. He learned years ago fame, money and the stuff couldn’t make you happy. I see it all the time with people I know and meet. On the other hand, I see people all the time who have have been handed huge challenges in life (some are horrifically bad) and they smile and are happy. I meet at least 3 people a week in that category and each inspires me.

I am not so sure I am a magnet for that kind of energy, I think they are everywhere, but thankfully we are all different and see different things in different people.

Some be kind, be present, paws and enjoy life (if you have a fur baby, adopt one if you can ’cause they will rescue you more than you rescue them) and stop worrying!

xo, Tracy Lynne

We’re ALL survivors

Congratulations you have made to Sunday October 25 in the year of living the live plagues aka #2020!

October is the last month before 2 months of the crazy time known as the holiday season. That itself has all kinds of good and bad vibes and worry that Jan 1 will find us 10 or more lbs heavier on top of the baby weight, the hurricane Florence weight (my NC people are still carrying this 2 years later), now add the COVID weight and all the other stuff.

If you have made it through 7 months of #COVID, you are a #survivor whether you got the virus or didn’t. You survived the toilet paper shortage, coin shortage, murder hornets, shutdowns, and every other WTF (Wed, Thurs, Fri 🙂 ) thing. That is HUGE and something to be celebrate! The world tossed a lot our way to be FEARFUL about. And yet, if you are reading this you SURVIVED! Badass types were not so worried, but if you are a worrier and overthinker, you need to break out the bubbly and celebrate big time that you SURVIVED months of life in the COVID times. That is a huge freakin’ deal and mark that in your brain!

Speaking of being a survivor, waking up everyday itself is proof you are a survivor. Shift your mind and start thinking this way and wait for the ripple effect.

Normally we think about SURVIVORS as being those who have gone through terrible things like cancer and chronic illnesses, financial ruin, scandals, major weather events, rapes, crimes, depression, addictions and more. Yes those are all really hard things to live through. I am not diminishing them and those who have lived through those events. They are painful and very difficult to work through.

I am giving a reminder to those of you need that a little extra magic and sparkle to make it through the day that you are amazing and have done hard things. Sometimes it is nice to get a little trophy and recognition. Who better to pass that out than you! You have to celebrate these things yourself, because what you think and feels matters most.

Remember for some people the little things that are easy for most are super hard for others. I see people everyday struggle to take a few steps (spiritually and physically). 10 feet for them is like a marathon for others. We all have roles, and I have faith that even in these depressing, crazy hard times we will come out for the better!

If you need faith, hope, sparkle, take some of mine, I have plenty to share!

xo, Tracy Lynne

Two Lumps of Sugar Holiday Gift Guide

We received a text from the North Pole . . . . . it was an S.O.S to HELP . . . . . it read . . . . .David, Denise, Phil and Tracy , send more cookies and aprons; and work on those the lists!

Santa and all the elves love Two Lumps of Sugar aprons! They’re adjustable and fit everyone from the littlest elves to the tallest of Bumbles.

I love and use all our products, these are my favorite ones for gifting. You can find them all here in 1 easy to order place. Code TRACY20 saves 20%.