Meet Tracy Pesikoff | Jewelry Designer/Artist & Pup Concierge

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tracy Pesikoff and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tracy, what do you attribute your success to?
Authenticity has been the most important factor with the creation and development of both Lariats By Lily and The Pup Au Pair. My right-brained tendencies for imagination and emotional expression tap into the core of who I am making my work instinctual and organic. Thus, I feel successful because I am being true to who I am, what I have passion for, and what drives me.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Lariats By Lily is a sprightly gemstone jewelry brand that embraces elegance, quality, quirkiness, color, and a commitment to customer service. My handmade necklaces, bracelets and earrings can be sparkly and sassy or dazzling and dainty. Every gemstone that I use is chosen with care and consideration for how it will reflect a person’s mood, vibe or personality. I love, love, love that my clients are selecting gifts for themselves or adored ones that adorn the necks, earlobes, & wrists of tots to retirees, prima donnas to rockers, and wallflowers to butterflies. I am most proud of the magnificent hodgepodge of people who have responded so generously to my art over the past 14 years. Lariats By Lily has given me the opportunity to flutter about meeting tons of fascinating people…hopefully sprinkling a bit of fairy dust along the way. My newest adventure, The Pup Au Pair, allows me to be a pupper concierge and pooch walker. With a lifetime of experience living with four-legged family members + a Master’s Degree in Social Work, I fancy myself a pup-whisperer. The motives, desires and needs of man’s best friend have always been intuitive to me. I believe a house becomes a home when tail-waggers join the mix. During COVID19 quarantine many doggies enjoyed having their two-leggeds at home round-the-clock. I am hoping to help quell the anxiety when their people become less available 24/7 as our society begins to open again. I love meeting peeps’ precious pups and helping make schedules more manageable and days more joyful!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would make sure my visitor comes in the spring, as this is when Houston is at her best. The azaleas are exquisite, and the weather tends to be delightful. I am more of a homebody and am inclined to stay close to the nest. But when I do venture out, I like to frequent and support neighborhood shoppes and take jaunts in the area. I cherish where I live in the city and am excited to show guests special nooks and crannies which are usually walking distance from my front door. Here is my perfect Houston weekend while hosting a friend in Houston: As soon as my bestie arrives on Friday evening, we will immediately go grab Tex-Mex on a patio. There is no better culinary welcome to Houston! A brisk walk with a pup through Rice University would start a Saturday. The campus architecture and green spaces are lovely, and it is unusual to have such a beautiful college campus smack dab in the middle of a thriving big city. A late lunch would be casual and outside somewhere, prolly at a neighborhood establishment in Rice Village. We would then spend a leisurely afternoon strolling around the Village. Saturday evening would be an adventure downtown to the Hobby Center or Jones Hall or the Alley Theater to take in a touring musical, a ballet, a concert, or a play. On Sunday we would hit up the new farmer’s market that is happening in Rice Village a few times a month, nibbling local treats as we moseyed along. No doubt there would be a fabulous exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts for our afternoon activity. Living close to the museum district has provided me with decades of amazing cultural exploration and education, and I would be thrilled to share that piece of our city. Later in the afternoon we would invite people over to sit and chat in my backyard enjoying the late afternoon cool air. I would be proud to show-off the #1 thing that Houston has to offer: the wonderfully welcoming and friendly people that are pervasive throughout our city.

Alright, so let’s jump right in! The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there a person, group, organization, book, etc. that you want to dedicate your shoutout to? Who else deserves a little credit and recognition in your story?  
When I had my first child two decades ago, I started reading him the picture book Go, Dog. Go! by P.D. Eastman. It is a simple children’s story featuring dogs while introducing the concepts of color and relationships. It soon became my favorite bedtime story. I could never have envisioned that over the next twenty years I would create two businesses that link back to the themes found in this sweet storybook. The magic of colors, the diversity of beauty and the delight of bedecking oneself are represented in my gemstone jewelry work. The importance of cheerful connections and the respect for all creatures are tenets of my work with animals. Go Dog, Go! will always be a treasured read no matter what stage of adulthood I am in, providing me with easy inspiration despite the complex and multi-layered world in which we all live.

Website: www.lariatsbylily.com and www.thepupaupair.com

Instagram: @lariatsbylily and @thepupaupairhtx

Facebook: Lariats By Lily

Other: Emails: lariatsbylily@yahoo.com and thepupaupair@yahoo.com