Finds for Another Pandemic Fall

I have not bought anything for fall yet.  My December trip is looking much less likely now but I did plan for a trip to Middleburg, VA and a trip to Kentucky (to horse show) in September.  So I won't be needing any new clothes that I can wear "out" unfortunately (still have not worn some things I bought in 2020) as I think this virus is going to get a lot worse and we won't be out and about like we thought we would.  Please get vaccinated.  The ICU near me is at its highest capacity ever.  But here are some fun finds that I would wear this year, given we are going to be home, again.....

This top is not really a fall top but this is the type of stuff I live in here at the farm. I ride, do barn chores, work.  This is a great buy too.  Try this brand out if you have not already.  

Love this Kate Spade quilted coat, at a great price.

 

I bought my first pair of On shoes last year and they are divine.  These are designed by Roger Federer and they make them for women and men. While I have not tried this shoe, treat yourself to a pair of On shoes. There is a lot to love here.

 

Love these felt Genuin Clogs, a Spanish brand that is environmentally friendly.  In my cart, anything lined with fur is a winner for colder weather.

Also think these will be great for fall with everything you own. Love the heel height too. Maybe picking these up too.....

Had my eye on this cardigan when it first came out and now it is greatly reduced.  See it here.

If I was going to make one splurge purchase this fall, this would be it.

Stay safe.  Stay home.  Protect the ones you love.  Be sensible and do the right thing for all Americans.

Vintage Etsy Finds

Here are some fun vintage finds this rainy Monday morning.  Enjoy!

This Paden City Black Forest vase is a rare find.  Love this pattern.

This vintage needlepoint rug is a real deal.  Love this!

Love this vintage needlepoint canvas. It reminds me of  Jean Smith design but at half the price.

Love this vintage Lotus etch dish.  I have this same etching on two Old Morgantown Glass glasses.

 Love these Imperial Hunt Scene tumblers and to find four alike is rare.

Love this vintage scarf:

Love this framed medallion:

Another great vintage scarf:

Love this vintage plant hanger:

Another one of these:

Love this plant stand:

Sunday Musings

Life has been too darn busy lately to blog so I apologize.  We finally got a little bit of rain, not enough, but we will take anything we get and it's going to be out of the 90's today.  What a relief.  My pastures are starting to like paddocks again.

Love this adorable house with land for sale in my area.  It's not really a farm, you'd need to build a barn, but how charming is this house?  And the setting?  See the listing here.

The Meredith Collection is one of my favorite needlepoint designers and Lycette is having a trunk show.  20 percent off.  I love this one, would make a fabulous pillow. 

There was a Tucci booth at a recent horse show and I treated myself to a new pair of paddock boots (courtesy of a recently awarded work bonus). My feet are so difficult to fit and I love that these pull on. I added a pair of Thinline insoles to pad them a little bit.  This is my third pair of these lovely Italian boots.  They hold up well and are so elegant.  I won't wear these to the barn.  LOL.  When my tall boots wear out, I am going to buy Tucci's.

Madison and I ventured into the equitation ring yesterday, only to get into the ring before we showed.  Let me add that when you show around here in equitation you get to ride against all of the young riders from Hollins, Sweetbriar, and every other school in Virginia that offers a riding program.  Out of 18 we were 4th.  I was shocked!  We won a class in late April on the flat out of 10 at a rated show but this much more competitive. Is equitation in our future at this late stage in life. Perhaps so!  So maybe we need hind boots to match our front ones. This is my favorite brand for the hunters. My goal for Alfie this year was to do equitation. Maybe we can add it our "to do" or "to conquer" list even at my age. I am certain I was the oldest ribbon winner in the class yesterday.

My glass collection has grown this year a little bit and this is a pattern that I really love. It's not common and there are two patterns that are very similar. This is Deerwood by Tiffin. Lovely isn't is?

This is Black Forest by Paden City. I probably prefer Deerwood but to be honest no one other than a real collector would know the difference.  These are cake plates. I have a few of these.  I use them to serve small sandwiches, they are perfect for a buffet, and you can use them for crackers or any kind of food really.  We used to be elegant in our every day life. Today it's paper plates and plastic.  I prefer to go back to a more elegant way of living.  In this regard, I never ever serve dinner without cloth napkins.  We have place mats, china, and a real napkin with every dinner. 

 Enjoy the rest of your weekend!  Stay safe and please get vaccinated so we can return to a normal life. Please?

 

Saturday Musings - It's All About Horses

I started the day, after barn chores, watching the US Showjumping Team take the silver medal in a thrilling jump-off for gold against Sweden (they have not won team gold since 1924).  It was incredible, all teams went clear in the jump-off round and less than two seconds separated the gold and silver medal (when the faults are tied, time is the deciding factor). Wow.wow.wow.  McLain Ward, Laura Kraut and Jessica Springsteen were on it in Tokyo.  Congratulations!  Job well done!

Belgium took the bronze. Congratulations!!!!

If that's not enough horses for you today, then plan to watch the Whitney from Saratoga late this afternoon.  Swiss Skydiver will again face the boys in another real test.  Remember her?  She won the Preakness in 2020.  She's back in action against KnicksGo who is blazing fast and will be the horse to beat.  But how many upsets over the years have taken place at the Spa?  Too many to list here.  It should be on NBC Sports or Fox Sports. Post time is 5:48 pm EDT.  Here is a great story about the hurdles Swiss Skydiver has faced this year.  She's had a lot of ups and downs.  Pulling for the little chestnut mare.

On another horse note, I am happy to report that Apollo's training is progressing nicely this hot dry summer in Virginia.  He wore tack this week for the first time.  Going for a visit tomorrow to see my gray colt (he is gelded but I still refer to him as my colt).  Cannot wait to see him.  Can't tell if he is traumatized or not in this photo.  Maybe he's just totally chilled.  

And the needlepoint finishing fairy arrived this week with a box full of goodies.  I have so many boxes out at various places right now - all that stitching in 2020 is still waiting to be finished. But love my new needlepoint.....

Remember the Thelwell books that we used to read?  Have you forgotten? The pillows above are so "Thelwell" and it reminded me.....Etsy is full of this stuff. If you need a refresher, read this great article.

Pandemic - Year Two - How Our Lives Have Changed

It's hard to believe that we are now in Year Two of the pandemic and we are surely to have a Year Three without herd immunity.  So what has changed as we find ourselves in the middle of something we never thought we'd be a part of......

We stay home a lot, still.  Last year we rarely ever left the farm.  I work from home and I worked flat out for most of the year (and that continues) but we just stayed put.  This has not changed that much.  We still get out some, but not nearly as much as we once did. No restaurant dining.  No overnight trips except for a horse show (twice) and a visit to see family (once).  We've made a few trips to local vineyards (easy to social distance) and were thinking about a fall trip but probably will out that on hold now.

We quit eating out, and I love to cook but have been so busy at work, we ordered Home Chef last April and are still using this service.  I would highly recommend it.  We order two dinners and get three meals most of the time out of those, and order maybe three weeks out of the month maybe four.  Our life has been easier with this service and we do not miss restaurant dining.  I cannot see us returning to restaurant dining except for special occasions. 

I have not been to a salon since February 2020.  I can't believe this part, but hubby cuts my hair and I cut his.  Shocking yes, but I still don't feel comfortable going to one and I am in an area with a large unvaccinated population.  Playing it safe.  No coloring for me, no nails, I am pretty low maintenance in this regard. 

I've become a gardener even thought there's no free time to garden.  Learning to love the plants and nature again has been a bonus for me. I have made two new gardens and am planning a new bulb order for a fall planting. And now I am starting to learn about the birds.  This book has been a big inspiration.

 

When life sends you lemons, make lemonade.  That's what we continue to do.

The Kids - An Update

I have not mentioned the "kids" lately and it's been a busy summer so far for Apollo and Madison.  Sega and April are bearing the intense heat and drought that we have in Virginia. It's about as dry as I have seen it with no rain forecast this week. No grass, just brown. They lounge by day behind their fans (yes, two fans each) and go out to their brown fields around 9 pm.

Apollo left in mid-July for school.  It was time.  He turned three last week and while I hated to see him go, he was ready to do something.  Hoping to go and see him next weekend just to say hello.  We miss him terribly and cannot wait for his return. Now I know how all you mothers out there feel when you drop your kids at camp and college.  I had that experience mid-July.  Apollo leaves for camp in the photo below. He was not too thrilled about leaving.

Here is Apollo at camp. I think he forgot about us very quickly.

Madison has had a good summer so far.  It took us a while to get her going early in the new year as she was off the horse show trail for almost an entire year due to Covid.  It was a little rocky at first, and she hates indoor arenas but once we got her outside the Madison we know and love started to bloom.  We hit a road bump when Alfie died and then we battled ulcers but she's back now, better than ever before.  I decided to take her off the local circuit and only show her going forward at the rated shows. The plan is working well and she's getting very consistent.  We had good trips this weekend other than one Adult Amateur miss this morning. She got top ribbons in every class except one.  We were thrilled and Madison is finally learning that primary colors are best.

So while Covid rages again, we have managed to have fun this summer with the horses again. We'll go out again in two weeks. I think Madison looks the part don't you? She really is a horse show diva. Stay safe!