My Noondayversary: Reflecting Back and Looking Ahead

One year ago this week, after much prayer and counsel, I fought back huge insecurities and doubts about myself and my abilities and signed up to become an Independent Ambassador for the Noonday Collection.

My thought process was pretty simple: I felt God calling me to do more for the vulnerable around me. There were so many amazing organizations I researched that I could get involved with - groups that helped people rise out of poverty, groups that helped women escape sex trafficking, and groups that were working hard to make a dent in the orphan crisis. I had this incredible drive to connect to the world around me, but with young children at home (and an adoption in process!), I knew this wasn't the time for me to be going on far away mission trips or making big financial commitments. Truthfully, I had a HUGE amount of money due to an adoption agency, and I needed to bring IN an income to help with that.

Enter Noonday.

As a Noonday Collection Ambassador, I am contributing to ALL THOSE AREAS.  

By advocating for our artisan partners and giving them a marketplace here, we are helping a mom feed her children who may not otherwise be able. In Uganda alone, our partner group, African Style, is employing over 400 people who might not otherwise have steady income. Mothers are bringing their children home from orphanages because they now have the means to feed them. One of our partner groups in Ethiopia (run by an incredible woman named Cherry) is helping women escape prostitution and sex trafficking by taking them under wing, counseling them, and giving them a dignified, meaningful way to bring in an income. And in India, one of the most patriarchal cultures on the planet, our partners are teaching women that their worth and value cannot be defined by a man.

Over the past year, I have (clearly) fallen head over heels with this company and the change WE are creating for our partners, but what I didn't anticipate was the change I saw in myself. My job as an Ambassador has never been about ME - it was about THEM, our artisan partners, and it was about a baby boy in China who needed a family to love him. Along the way, though, I started to feel a shift in myself. I felt empowered by my business, and I felt a confidence that I hadn't felt in a very, very long time. Noonday has given me a purpose in this season where I'm mostly just known as somebody's mom. When I go to a trunk show and help a customer pick out just the right gift for her mom or I get to see the excitement in somebody's eyes who hears our story for the first time, there's fulfillment there. For those few hours, I'm not just somebody's mom...I'm making an impact and part of something that's so much bigger than me.

  And the Ambassador community...I mean, don't even get me started. I could write a novel about the incredible community I've found in my team and Ambassador sisters. These women are some of the most life-giving, encouraging, and loyal people on this planet, and I'm so blessed to be among them.

So, now that I've looked back...I want to look forward. And it's with shaking hands and an anxious heart, I want to share with you my 2017 goal for my Noonday Collection business...

I WANT TO QUALIFY FOR AN ARTISAN TRIP.

There, I said it out loud. (I'm now wiping sweat off my forehead.) They say that goals that aren't shared are rarely met, so I'm putting this one out there for accountability. I want to meet our artisan partners next year. I want to look them in the eyes and hug them and thank them for all they've done to change my life. I want to thank them for playing a role in bringing Brooks home. I want to tell them how much their work matters to our family. 

But I'm not going to get there alone...because here's the really scary part...

I have to have $30,000 in sales this year to qualify. 

Eeeeeek! I know, that sounds like a crazy big amount...and it is...last year, I had just shy of $16,000 in sales and held 16 trunk shows. So, obviously, if you do the math, I need to almost double that and hold at least 25-30 trunk shows this year if I'm going to get there. That's a big jump from 16...

   

THAT'S WHERE YOU COME IN.

I need your help! So many of you guys have hosted and purchased from me, and for that, I am SO very grateful. Now, I need you to share the Noonday love with your friends! Here's how you can participate with the incredible work Noonday is doing...

1) Shop with me! When a birthday rolls around or you need a great necklace for that special night out or it's time for teacher gifts, think Noonday first! You can shop 24/7 at my site HERE. (Also, the sale section right now is INSANE...worth a look!) 

2) Host a show! It's so amazingly easy to gather your friends for a play date or girls' night. Grab some coffee or a bottle of wine, invite your friends over, and let's hang out while changing the world together! The rewards are amazing, the fellowship is just fun, and it's a purchase you can feel 100% good about making. The spring line debuts in just over three weeks, and it's truly breathtaking, y'all. To entice you even further, Home Office has added some amazing benefits for anyone hosting during the the first two weeks of the spring season. For more information on hosting a show, click HERE. Know an adopting family? Let's bless them with a fundraiser! Not local? I'm happy to take a road trip or hop on Facebook Live with you! Shoot me an email and let's figure something out! 

(ALSO: Past hostesses...sign up to host another show with me this year, and I'll tack on an additional $25 in product credit to your rewards as a THANK YOU for partnering with me again!)

3) Share the Noonday love on social media! When you order a piece that you just love, tell your friends! Share my site with them and tell them how your purchase is making a huge dent in some big global issues. Just like you'd share a great new movie you'd seen or restaurant you'd tried, share your world-changing purchases online! People LOVE a good recommendation! 

So, that's my heart today. I'm looking back at the year behind me in my business with gratitude and looking at the year ahead of me with hope and big dreams. I would love for you to join me on this journey and continue to be thankful for my amazing customers every day! XO! 

Eight on the Eighth: A Life Lately Recap

Okay, y'all...forgive my absence here. For the last two weeks, we've gone into sprint mode around here with visa applications, a quick lake getaway, the start of a new school year, and just general September craziness. So, a couple quick things to share with you all...

ONE 

We are resting on the adoption paperwork front...for a hot nanosecond.

Our visa applications went out last week, our I800 application (immigration forms) went out two weeks ago, and our latest agency invoice was sent to the grant director for disbursement. Check, check, check. For now, we breathe. At this point, nothing can happen until we get our I800 approval and the grant money is received by our agency. At that point, we should know our travel dates...EEEEK! I cannot WAIT to start a countdown to baby boy!

TWO

We sent summer out in style with a quick little jaunt up to the lakehouse for one last getaway as a family of four. It was a sweet, sweet time in our favorite place. I didn't take all that many pictures because I really tried to keep my thoughts and mind present with my family and keep the social media and temptations of the phone away, but I grabbed just a couple to share. :)

This view...it just never gets old, y'all.

We are in the middle of a marriage series at church, and each week, we are getting "homework." This week, we were supposed to go on a date. Ummm, okay. Can't argue with church, right? We got away for a quick bite of Arkansas BBQ on Saturday afternoon. 

Fishing with Doc! Caught a "whopper!"

Loved spying on my boys while they were fishing one morning...total Forrest Gump moment. ;) I can't believe I'll have THREE boys to spy on next summer! 

Major growth from the kids - they actually SWAM IN THE LAKE! 

THREE

The day after we returned from the lake, we started a brand new year of school! 

These kids had a great first week and are LOVING their new teachers and classes! 

We have a Thursday afternoon slurpee tradition...I think I was the happiest of the three of us to see it return! 

FOUR

Monday night, our t-shirt fundraiser closed, and I am blown away to share that we raised $1,400 to put toward our orphanage donation! We sold just shy of 100 shirts, and for being a second round of orders, we couldn't believe the success! Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who supported!

FIVE

Okay, I can't get this post published without shouting out the Noonday sale section. I know, I know...painful self-promotion. BUT IT'S REALLY NOT! I want to point out a few of my absolute favorite pieces that are on CRAZY sale right now so you can grab them up before they're gone forever! These are items that will not be reordered and they WILL sell out QUICKLY!

These are two of my classic favorites for the James Avery or very traditional girl. The Monaco bracelet on the left was originally $38 and is now LESS THAN $15! Ummm, hello perfect gift for the mother-in-law who has everything! And the Octagon Hoops are under $25! These are my GO-TO earrings that basically go with anything.

Ohhh, Chennai Crossbody, let me count the ways I love you. You make me HANDS FREE, you are a gorgeous color pop, and you have a REMOVABLE tassel...be still my heart! This handmade beauty was just marked down from $125 to $84.99...more than 30% off. Yes, PLEASE. And the Nakato Necklace...it's a hand-rolled gorgeous statement pieces that is just $20.99 right now. Let me assure you, this one will be GONE FAST!

And lastly...two of my FAVORITES are this month's guest specials, and I have a trunk show open through the 23rd! If you pick up a couple of gifts or sale items and your cart totals $60+, shoot me an email and let me enter your order with one (or both) of these special deals! Sale items + trunk show specials = happy wallet. TOO GOOD, Y'ALL.

Check it all out HERE.

 SIX

This guy. I think he's been having a little bit of a tough time with the fact that most of his friends went to Kindergarten and he doesn't see them all that much anymore. I think he's also a little bit nervous about getting a baby brother, and he's been very cuddly and clingy lately. Tonight, I was tucking him in bed around 7:45 and mentioned I might go on a walk. He didn't seem very tired, so I asked if he wanted to go with me, and he just about flew out of his bed. We walked around the neighborhood, talked about his new TK class, and he relished the one-on-one time. I didn't get much exercise, but I think he needed the time more than I needed the calorie burn. :)

We watched a family of ducks sitting on the edge of the lake here for a while, and it was so interesting to me that he kept talking about the white duck sitting with all the brown ducks. He kept asking why he was with them when he "didn't match." It was such a great opportunity to hear his perspective. I was so tempted to immediately jump in and pull out all the cliches about how we don't have to look alike to love each other or be accepted, but I somehow mustered the self-control to just listen instead. Children are amazing you guys. Carter proceeded to make up a story about how the brown ducks found the white duck when he was swimming alone because he was lost. He thinks the brown ducks asked him if he needed help, and the white duck said he doesn't have a family, so the brown ducks take care of him. He then looked up at me and said, "They're kinda like us, huh?" I asked him what he meant, and he said, "That's why Brooks is in China waiting for us. He needs us to take care of him, right, Mom? Because he needs a family?"

Cue the ugly cry.

Are adoption hormones a thing? Some people called waiting adoptive families "paper pregnant." I think that's kind of odd, so I've never used that term, but I'm totally feeling the emotional roller coaster lately. Dang you, five year-old! ;)

SEVEN and EIGHT

If you're still reading, props to you. It's the first week of school, I walked over 3 miles today running around our preschool building like a crazy lady. and I'm going to call six out of the eight good for now. The Eight on the Eighth title sounded so much better than six on the eighth...so we're keeping it,but I'm spent. y'all. 

Night!    

The Fall Collection is HERE!!!!!!

YOU GUYS - eeek! It's launch day! I have been waiting SO LONG to share all the beautiful things with you guys today. I seriously can't even stand it. I don't even want to talk anymore because there are beautiful things that you just need to see...

Okay, I'm starting in Uganda with this INSANELY beautiful Great Expectations necklace. I literally GASPED when I saw it in the look book. Those gorgeous cobalt, turquoise, and burgandy beads? Yeah, they're rolled out of recycled paper BY HAND around a toothpick. Each and every single one. It seriously blows me away every time. This necklace comes on a gorgeous braided rope that you tie at the neck so it can be work short as a statement piece, long as I've done above, or mid-length. I've paired it here with the Catalina earrings that are hand-stamped in Kenya and an arm party that I'll discuss below...

Okay, I love throwing in something new with some old favorites. The turquoise and teal bracelets you see here are some staple Safari Stacks - again, hand-rolled paper beads - that I've layered with the Addis bracelet (top). The Addis is on my wrist at least five out of seven days a week. It's kind of my boyfriend because I love to tell its story. All of our Ethiopian pieces are made of upcycled artillery. Yep, artillery. As in bullets. That bracelet was made from melting down something meant to do harm and re-purposed into something beautiful that gives life and purpose to the hands that make it. Talk about a beauty from ashes story! That multi-color cuff on the bottom is a new friend - meet the Effortless cuff. She's a beauty, y'all, and pretty much goes with everything.

Okay, let's take this look from top to bottom. The Concentric earrings are made in Peru and have a perfect little blue stone at the center of this fun geometric earring. So modern and such a statement earring without being in your face. LOVE.

Around my neck is the beautiful Evangeline. I mean...ALLLLL the heart eyes for this girl. Gorgeous colors, a little fringe...I'm in love. On my right (your left) wrist are the Alvaro bracelets from Guatemala. These two come as a set and stack together beautifully. These bracelets are hand-beaded and conform to fit almost any wrist size.

(Alvaro again on bottom arm.) The arm party I've got going on here on my top arm begins with the Azure wrap bracelet. These are teeny, tiny paper beads from Uganda and a gorgeous blue. Behind that is the Equatorial cuff. These are truly one-of-a-kind, wearable art. These cuffs are each going to be different and unique, and I love that about them. They are made using the Guatemalan huipil - a traditional women's dress - so each is cut to fit. No two will ever be alike which is so fun and special. The gorgeous Mojave scarf seen above features the beautiful scarlet color and two fun black tassels, which are unfortunately hidden behind my arm.  

Ohhh, Ecuador...THANK YOU for this beautiful necklace. This is the Skyward necklace made from tagua - a process that can take 4-6 months from the time the nuts are gathered. I've paired them here with the Elemental earrings from Peru - another quick favorite. 

And, heyyyyy, date night! Here, I'm holding my favorite new clutch, the Dahdi! This modern, geometric print pops on most any color palette and can be easily dressed up or down for any event. In this look, I've simply swapped my Skyward necklace for the gorgeous Tradewinds made in India.

The Tradewinds necklace here is a fun cross between sophisticated and boho. The glass beads are hand-cut and strung with these cute little leaf details. So easy and an easy to wear white. 

Ummm, how fun are these shoulder-dusters?! These are the monarch earrings and basically speak for themselves. 

A dressed down look featuring the Great Expectations worn a little shorter. Here I've paired it with the Elemental earrings for a more casual feel. 

And, meet Zelda! Zelda is our new, modern extender for those who like a more sophisticated look. Sold with the necklace seen here which has such a classic, pearl-like look, Zelda will be a staple for years to come. I've paired it with the Minaret earrings from Vietnam. 

And this one, you guys...I just had to share this hilarious outtake from my photo session with a five year-old photographer. This picture perfectly sums up what it's like to parent Kate. ;) She's a girl with big dreams, big plans, and a highly skeptical mother who will likely be the reason she ends up in therapy. This one cracked me up! 

I had to share these, too, because at $11 or $20, these little add-ons would be just perfect gifts to stock up on! Unless you attend a trunk show in person, I have to add these to your order myself, so if you are interested in placing an order that qualifies ($60+) and you'd like me to add them, be sure and email me - awezell@gmail.com - so I can help! 

And just a quick reminder for my local D/FW girls...my Mystery Hostess two-day event starts TONIGHT at 6:30pm! I will also open my house from 11am-2pm Saturday, so be sure to let me know if you'd like to come by! If you are not local or just prefer to shop online, be sure to use my link below by the 14th! Every $10 spent enters you into my raffle for FREE NOONDAY! 

bit.ly/MHFallLaunch

Okay, this is not even close to all of the new stuff, so be sure to click the link above to see it all. BUT, I'm just dying to know what you think! Which piece spoke to you? Leave me a comment and let me know! XO!   

August 1st Dreaming...

Well, hey, August, hey! So glad to finally see you!

I've been waiting for August 1st for quite some time. I'll keep it real, y'all - July was NOT my jam. It was long, slow, hot, and full of boredom, truthfully. I'm sure I'll be wishing for a July day come October or so, but right now, I'm okay moving on.

August is going to be a really big month for us around here for a few reasons.

1) I turn 32 tomorrow. On a Tuesday. Sigh.

2) The Noonday Collection fall line launches on the 4th, and I have FIVE trunk shows scheduled so far this month! Amazing! I am SO grateful that so many incredible women have stepped up to host and create a marketplace for our artisan partners in their home. I cannot wait to see how these shows will make an impact both globally and on our family's adoption expenses. Check back here on Thursday for some preview pictures, the link to shop, and to hear a little more of my heart for this amazing company. I've set some lofty goals for myself this fall, and I cannot wait to partner with my amazing hostesses and customers to make it happen. 

(Psssst - local ladies, if you'd like to come see the new line in person and hang out with me, I'm hosting a Mystery Hostess Open House with TWO attendance options: Thursday evening from 6:30-8:00 AND Saturday from 11-2pm! I'd love to have you!)

3) We celebrate Kate turning 3 on Sunday! I cannot believe my baby girl is turning 3. She has really turned into such a little girl this summer. She's becoming very independent, smart, and caring, and even though she still has some seriously sassy moments, we love seeing her little personality blossom.

  4) We head to Colorado on vacation in ONE WEEK! ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL the praise hands! I seriously just cannot wait to be in beautiful country with my little family. I'll recap the trip once we return!

5) We are asking God to move some pretty big mountains in our adoption this month. We had some exciting news come our way last month that we absolutely cannot wait to share, but until we cross the hurdles we are currently facing and get some approvals we need from China, we cannot share any details publicly. We would covet your prayers for quick movement on that end. Once we have that approval, we are planning to relaunch our wildly successful "No Place Like Home" t-shirt fundraiser with a little bit of a twist. We cannot wait to share all of these details with you...stay tuned! 

(Also, I'd love to hear in the comments what color shirt you'd like to to see us offer! We are considering mint, navy, berry pink, red, or a deep heather gray...let me know what you think!)

So that's what we have coming up! Well, all of that, AND I return to work for some training starting the 23rd. :( It's going to be a whirlwind month, but so many good things happening! Have a great week, friends! XO!

Adoption Talk Link-Up: Oh, HEY, March!

What in the ACTUAL world...how it is already March?!? And March 3rd at that?!!

Today, I'm joining up with the Adoption Talk Link-Up, and the prompt simply says "Anything Goes," so that's pretty fitting for this post because the things I wanted to share with you today are somewhat adoption-related, but there's no real Earth-shattering news yet. (Oh, I wish there was!) We are just waiting...it's just part of all of this...but I'm choosing to share today about some fun little ways God has reminded me He's still there when there is so little action. 

First off, let's revisit our timeline since it's been a while since I participated in a link-up!

We began our adoption process on August 10, 2015.

We got our home study approval on November 17, 2015.

We received our I800A approval on January 8, 2016.

And the latest additions to that timeline...

Our agency sent our completed dossier to China on February 12, 2016.

The CCCWA logged us into their system on February 19, 2016.

So, we've been eligible to be matched for roughly three weeks now. Since we are electing to only look at baby boy files, our agency thinks we will be matched within the next three months. (That's basically lightning speed in the adoption world for those of you who are unfamiliar...) We could get "the call" tomorrow, it could be another 8-9 weeks...we truly don't know. So, we'll just keep on doing the next right thing...

When I was about 15, I picked up a little book in the book store called "God Winks." (Or something like that...) I remember the premise was basically stories of how people felt gentle reminders and confirmations that God was truly looking out for them. Basically, they were stories of coincidences that were no coincidence at all. Over the last few weeks, I've experienced SEVERAL "God winks" that I thought would be a fun share today. 

About two weeks ago, I got a random Facebook message from a girl that I didn't know at all. I would normally decline a message like that, but we had several mutual friends, so I figured she wasn't a creeper. (Her picture was also very promising.) I opened it up to find a message from a girl who wanted to see if we had any interest in meeting because she and her husband were also in the process of adopting from China and she lived in our neighborhood. (Um, YES!) Well, come to find out, they also have two biological children who are both within a few months in age of my kids, we are the exact same age, we have mutual friends from MANY stages of life, and are both at the EXACT same point in the process...waiting on a referral. And to top it all off, our oldest boys got along GREAT! 

If that's not a "God wink," then I don't know what is!

What a gift it will be for ALL of our children to grow up close to a family with whom they can identify. One of my (many) things I've been researching as of late is how to navigate the transition to a trans-racial family. The stares, the comments, the questions...I just don't really know how we are going to handle all of that. And when Carter or Kate's friends want to tell them that their brother isn't their "real" brother or ask why he doesn't look like us, how am I going to respond? I know God will equip me with the right words when that time comes, but it is a genuine concern of mine. I'm not really concerned for me and my husband...we've got pretty thick skin. I'm more concerned for Carter and Kate's hearts, especially as they move into elementary school where kids can be just downright mean at times. (If you've got any wisdom here, share it, please!) What a gift it will be to grow up with a family that looks like ours just down the street! 

A few days later, I nervously launched my Noonday Collection business with a full house of people and placed more than 20 orders in 24 hours. I was basically on my knees the hour before the party started because I was so afraid that no one would show up and I would fail. But, WOW. Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected a turn out like that. Sales is not even CLOSE to my comfort zone, and this whole business venture has been in God's hands since I said yes. Man, did He wink at that. ;) What a huge blessing that day was for me, our adoption expenses, AND the artisan businesses who make everything. Such a win-win all around. I am so excited for the future with this organization!

OH! One last thing! One of my FAVORITE things about becoming a Noonday Ambassador is that I get to pay it forward and help OTHER adopting families raise funds, too! I would LOVE to bless another adopting family by hosting a trunk show in their honor. They will receive 10% of the sales total to use for their adoption. If you know anyone who is in the adoption process and looking for fundraising ideas, send 'em my way! 

Wishing you all a very happy Friday Eve! XO!

  

Monday Musings: An Adoption Update

Moment of silence, friends...it's Monday. AGAIN. Why does this keep happening?!! 

Kidding. Kinda. ;) 

Okay, SO, I have a few things to share today regarding our adoption and possible timeline. There are still LOTS of question marks and variables, but we had a long talk with the Matching Coordinator on Friday, so I wanted to share a little bit about what I learned. 

First, we are officially LOGGED IN to the CCCWA! Translation: our dossier made it to China, and as of last Friday, it is in the hands of the Chinese government and has been added to their international adoption database. That means we are OFFICIALLY in the system and the US side of our dossier is complete! Now, the Chinese government will translate our dossier into Mandarin and can eventually approve us to adopt a child. This is GREAT news! 

Second, we talked with our agency on Friday for about 30 minutes regarding our medical checklist and general profile, and our agency didn't seem to think it would take more than 3 months for us to receive a match. (It could definitely be shorter, but they didn't seem to think it would be any longer than that.) From the time we accept a match, depending on a few variables, we will travel 3-6 months later. SOOOOO, all of that means we could POSSIBLY be traveling in the late summer, but it'll probably be early fall. It's really happening, y'all...this is crazy. 

For those of you unfamiliar with how matching works, each family creates a "profile" of the type of child they'd like to adopt including gender, age, and acceptable medical conditions. We are basically looking to adopt a boy, 0-18 months (at time of match), and we are open to about six categories of minor special needs. We created this profile based on our desire to stay in birth order, so Kate needed to be at least 1 year older than her younger brother, and we narrowed down the medical conditions after MANY, MANY conversations with various pediatricians. The profile part of adoption is HARD. 

Thank you all for continuing to journey this out with us...we are so excited to be at this point!

OH! And one last thing...several people have asked whether or not we plan to do any more adoption fundraising. The short answer is no...we do not plan to organize any more fundraisers...BUT, if you'd like to contribute to our family's adoption financially, there are two ways you can do that:

1) PayPal donations - there is a button on the right navigation bar labeled DONATE that will accept a monetary donation and will go directly into our adoption account. No need to have a PayPal account, and it will send you a receipt.

2) So, this one is way more fun...SHOP MY NOONDAY COLLECTION LINE! I fell in love with Noonday several months ago, and when the opportunity to become the first Ambassador in my area fell into my lap, I had to jump on it! This company was born as an adoption fundraiser, seeks to empower men and women struggling to get out of poverty worldwide, and the style is just SO me! The spring line debuted last Thursday, and it is STUNNING. All of my commissions will go into our adoption account as well, so your purchases are truly making a HUGE impact. Here are a few of my favorites from the new line. (Click on each picture for the link to the featured item! And if you want the name of an item pictured that I didn't link to the picture, shoot me a comment below! I'd love to help you find it.)

There are SO MANY MORE beautiful things on the full website, including a SALE section with some beauties! (Um, hello beautiful $14 earrings!)
Leave me a comment or shoot me a message for more info or if you have questions! Make it a great week, friends! XOXO!

The Changing Face of Friendships and The Impact of Direct Sales

I'm going to go ahead and share something today that, quite frankly, might get me into a little bit of trouble. I'm gonna go there because it's 2016, and it's happening everywhere. Take one scroll down your Facebook feed and everybody's selling something, am I right? Somehow, overnight, your best friend who had no idea what collagen is yesterday became a skin care expert. Or your friend who wears nothing but yoga pants and t-shirts started selling designer handbags. Or your co-worker whose lunch is typically a hot dog, Coke, and Doritos is all of a sudden recruiting you to join her "108 Day Solution" group and "take back your health." 

I KNOW. Annoying, isn't it?

If you're anything like me, you usually think to yourself while scrolling, "Ugh. What a bunch of sellouts." After the eighth post of the day showing before and afters of the miracle cream or cellulite-reducing wrap, you end up blocking all these salespeople from your news feed, and calling all social media worthless because it's "just advertising."  

 I know. Me, too.

Then, things start getting even worse because you met a new friend at a play date who seems legitimately interested in getting to know you and asks you to go have coffee with her. About 30 minutes into the coffee date, she lowers the boom: it's all a sales pitch. She wants you to find "financial freedom" by joining her "fast-growing team" before it's too late.

A little piece of you dies inside. You thought she genuinely liked you!?!

Here's the thing...I was in that boat, but...

A small piece of me wondered if it might just work, but the thought of "selling" to my friends was, honestly, pretty icky to me. 

A few weeks ago, I learned that there was only one person in my city selling some of my absolute favorite accessories, so after lots of prayer and an encouraging phone call, I took a leap of faith and signed on to be an Ambassador with The Noonday Collection. SO MANY of my friends were absolutely shocked because, quite frankly, I've vented countless times to them about my absolute DISDAIN for direct sales and the constant pressuring of friends and family to join your team and buy your products. 

AND I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING...

Sell out.

They got to you.

I can't believe you gave in.

You're one of them.

If you are one of the ones who hates direct sales, you might be thinking, "Now I have to block you, too. You're just going to try to recruit me to sell stuff, too." (Let me first just assure you...I won't! That is SO not in my nature...)

But I wonder, what if we changed our thinking...what if instead of constantly being in competition with each other, what if we rallied around each other and supported each other? How would all of this be different if we stopped playing all the artificial friendship games and just legitimately loved our people, whether they joined our team, bought our products, or NOT?  

I know that sounds pretty radical...but I really think it could be done. Maybe if we truly understood the people posting the constant before and afters or selfies in their new "must-have" scarves, we wouldn't be quite so resistant to supporting them.

Here's what I know about people who usually join direct sales companies:

1) Most do it because they want to support their families. 

Most direct sales reps are stay-at-home moms, which is why we are also the biggest targets. We generally speaking have no income...so hey, perfect person to sell something from home. We look at direct sales as a way to make a little income to ease the financial burden on our husbands, and for the most part, there's little investment lost if it doesn't work out. 

For me, I saw joining Noonday as a potential way to make a little money to help our adoption by connecting with friends over unique and beautiful products that really hadn't been seen yet in Frisco.  The bonus for me was that Noonday products help create jobs and provide stable incomes for people all around the world in poverty, and that is SO cool. The company also has a huge love for and it's roots in adoption. That's MY why...but everyone has their own WHY. 

What if we actually took the time to ask our friends who are selling various products what is THEIR why? You might be surprised...

2) Most are stepping out of their comfort zones.

Usually, direct sales companies require an initial start-up investment. That's kind of scary when you typically have no income other than your husband's. Some of us (like yours truly!) are seriously scared to death to ask friends and family to support a start-up business. Failure is scary...and many, MANY direct sales reps fail. It's just a reality of the time we live in. Let's pick each other back up!

3) Most do LEGITIMATELY want your friendship first.

So, it was super annoying that the new play group friend seemed like she only wanted you to join her team. But, does that mean that your friendship has to be over? NO! If you legitimately clicked with someone but don't want her products or to join her team, why not just politely say no and MOVE ON WITH BUILDING THE FRIENDSHIP? 

Why are we so quick to immediately toss a friendship aside when it turned slightly business-like for 5 whole seconds? You guys...we're making this way more awkward than it needs to be. Remember lemonade stands, 80s kids? What if someone politely said no to buying your lemonade one day and you saw them at school the next day? Would you give them the stink eye and never talk to them again? NO! You would get. the. heck. over. it. 

Let's be like the 80s kids! Grab your Umbros and Tiger Beat and Get. the. heck. over. it.

To wrap up, hear my heart. This post was absolutely NOT written from a place where I just wanted you to buy my stuff. I love Noonday, and yes, I'd love you to support me in my Noonday business...but that had absolutely ZERO to do with this post. This post came from a conversation I had last week with a friend regarding just how artificial and uncomfortable friendships have become in 2016 due to direct sales. Literally, friendships that had been in place for years are being strained because someone wouldn't join a team or (gasp!) didn't love another friend's products. This HAS TO STOP. We have to change the dialogue. Let's GET. THE. HECK. OVER. IT. and get back to genuine relationships...business partners or not, team members or not, customers OR NOT.

Friends, direct sales are a BIG THING in 2016...but we DON'T have to let them dictate our friendships. 

10 on the 10th

So, this is totally not creative because I stole it from another blogger, but I loved the idea of sharing ten happy things on the 10th of the month. So let's do it! :) 

ONE.

You guys...these little questionnaires are seriously my favorite thing ever. I love seeing what sticks with kiddos when they are asked about their parents. Apparently, I do a lot of playing with this kid...:) And can we also talk about the fact that he already appreciates my fierce love of necklaces and coffee? It's true...give me a statement necklace and a latte, and I'm really just a happy girl.

TWO. 

I wrote out 14 little post-it notes with reasons why I love my husband, folded them up, put them in a cute little container, and called it a gift. (It cost me exactly 99 cents. Okay, so 1.07 with tax.) I made this for my hubby on Monday, and he has LOVED opening two little reasons why I love him every day this week leading up to Valentine's Day. I know...cue the sap. But it is SO CUTE to watch him get all embarrassed and red-faced when he opens up a praise! Words of affirmation are NOT his love language...but they're mine, so we're working on it.

THREE.

My Noonday is coming! My Noonday is coming! I put together these little collages for you of some of my favorite pieces from previous lines. I can't show the spring stuff just yet (8 more days!), but these are some staple pieces I ordered as samples that I cannot WAIT to get on me! If you're local, be sure to RSVP to my business launch show on Facebook! Message me or comment for an invite if you didn't get one!

FOUR.

I spent yesterday morning wearing my "mom" hat at school, and we had a fun little Mommy & Me craft day. 

It was short and sweet, but I loved just loved seeing my kiddos in their classrooms. We painted together and just had fun getting a little extra time together in the chaos of the morning. 

FIVE.

We love a reason to celebrate around here, and yesterday my little lady turned 2 1/2! :) We didn't do gifts or anything, but we did pick out some pretty cute owl cupcakes after school and had fun getting a special snack. She insisted we sing to her...of course...and she clearly hated the attention. ;) 

SIX.

Hubby came home from work yesterday with the most hilarious little smirk on his face. He said he "waited too long" to get his "Valentine's Week" flowers because all the roses were already $40 or more. Soooo, I got yellow tulips instead. He told me I could go shopping with the difference in price...um, okay!

SEVEN.

No words. This girl cracks me up. She wanted to be Santa in the bath. I mean...

EIGHT. 

I am an AUNT again!!! This precious bundle is my new niece, Annabelle! How lucky am I?!! Kate is so excited to have another girl in the family!!

NINE.

This. This is my life. Every. single. day.

TEN.

I know, I know. This kind of goes along with #3...but I'm so excited about it! If your purchase totals at least $60 during my February trunk show, you can get one (or both!) of these Monaco pieces for half off! These pieces are just classic, staple, go-with-anything pieces that you will absolutely adore! I am so excited for this bonus Noonday is offering this month! :) My live trunk show will be the 28th, but I will post the trunk show link here next week. Stay tuned!

OH! And, I hope to have an adoption update Friday...I'm hearing we may have some progress to share! Eeek!

Make it a great Hump Day friends!