Thanksgiving Thanks

Many of you have inquired about the status of my injury.  Thanksgiving is a good time to say "thank you" to thousands of readers who have become "pen pal-like" friends over the past few years and have sent words of encouragement.  I'm thankful for that.  I'm also thankful for the physicians who have cared for me since July and who operated on my arm the second time in October.  I still have a long road ahead, months of physical therapy to get me back as close to normal as I'll ever be.



It's the small things we are thankful for - can't wait to be able to care for my horses again, to clean their feet, curry them, pull their manes, put on their blankets easily and to be able to sweep the barn  aisle.  Hoping in a few more months "barn chores" will again be 100 percent mine and I'll be back to the old routine!  Stay warm, dry, travel safe and care for your loved ones, furry, four-legged or otherwise.

Everyone Loves a Bargain

On Saturday I ventured out to the J Crew Outlet (not a Factory Store) near Lynchburg, Virginia.  J Crew was founded in Lynchburg and one of their distribution centers is located here.  The catalog returns go there, there's a small call center there too. I had the luxury of touring the facility earlier this year, an amazing operation....


But I had not been to the store in a while and I had heard that it had been enlarged.  OMG! It's ten times larger and so much stuff.  I was like a kid in a huge, very inexpensive candy store.  Why shop anywhere else?

Prices are good but you must inspect the merchandise.  Tippi sweaters are $30.  Most pants are $20-40.  Cashmere sweaters are $60-70.  And then everything was 25 percent off.  Much of the merchandise is current.  There's a small kids' department, some men's and a room for bridal but the vast majority of the merchandise is for women.  There are some racks of Madewell too.

These boots were $120 before the discount.






These calf hair flats are $300 in the December catalog.  Mine were $100 before the discount.



Minnie wool pants, $30 before discount.



Cords were $20 before discount. I tried on the green matchsticks.



This cute bag was $40.



I simply love this place.

Cold Weather, I Mean, Stylish Essentials

Old Man Winter reared his ugly head today with brute force winds and low temperatures.  It's that time of year, when you pull out the cold weather essentials.  But who says you can't look stylish when you muck stalls, mend fences or chase an old mare around the field in 20 degree weather?  I say you can!

I love these boots from J Crew and they come in several colors:



And these are very nice as well from Ariat and let's face it when your feet are cold, well, the rest of you can't be too comfortable either....



 

 

Arcteryx is my favorite winter clothing now.  It started in British Columbia and this stuff is just warm.  I love their under layers and their vests and coats. It costs a little more but also holds up well too.  It's not just for looks, it does the job too.

 



 





Another go-to brand is Smart Wool.  It's really warm.  The tops are great too!

The socks are just the warmest out there but I must admit they do not hold up well.  But since I'm still waiting for someone to create warm socks that last, I'll keep buying these.



Stay warm and remember to be stylish too!

The Virginia Hunt Country Kennedys



There's a nice, somewhat short article in The Washington Post, recalling the short Kennedy years in the Virginia Hunt Country through the stories of the Kennedy's caretakers' grandson.  You can view it here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/local/wp/2013/11/21/northern-virginias-slice-of-camelot-the-kennedys-in-fauquier-county-1961-63/?hpid=z5

The above photo was taken at Wexford in November 1963 shortly before JFK's death.  Photo is from Pinterest.  Somber day in our nation's history. 

The Real Tragedy of Camelot

Like much of America tomorrow I'll be remembering JFK even though I was barely alive when he was so tragically taken from us in 1963.

 (Pinterest)

 

But as I listened and watched in the past few weeks as newscasters, historians and those who were part of Camelot or who were there in Dallas 50 years ago, I realized that the real tragedy is that we desperately need a JFK in Washington now.  Can you possibly imagine any politician uttering these words today:

 

And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man…

 

Making a speech like JFK's inaugural address would be political suicide today.  All Americans want now is their country to take care of them and we vote for leaders who promise us the most, regardless of whether the goods can be delivered at the local, state or national level. Look how far we've come in 50 years.  Pretty sad isn't it?  JFK would be pretty unhappy too if he were alive today. RIP President Kennedy, you are missed more than you could ever know.

 



 





Equestrian Covergirls

The equestrian world once upon a time appeared to be part of popular culture by looking at some old magazine covers.  This would make an interesting thesis for a sociology project wouldn't it?  Bet you'd never see a horse on the cover of The New Yorker unless a horse wins The Triple Crown again. This one is 1928.

Certainly the once popular National Horse Show in Madison Square Garden had something to do with it.

And racing was much bigger than it is today way back when...

This now defunct title is from 1916.

 Does anyone remember Spur which ceased publication in the mid 1990's.

Even Southern Living was into horses at one time.

In 1926 even Time celebrated the country lifestyle with icon CZ Guest gracing the cover.

And I love this old cover.



Love this old Vanity Fair cover. The only way we'd horses here again was if Gwyneth Paltrow decided to ride the circuit.

There are plenty of new magazines out there now but these are not mainstream and clearly are niche players. 

But I have to give kudos to Vogue....

 

Times change don't they?



Ann Taylor Does Equestrian Jewelry

Who knew?  Ann Taylor has some good looking equestrian-themed jewelry right now, on-line and it's 50% off current sale prices.  This bracelet is my favorite and it can be yours for $22 plus shipping and sales tax.

This necklace says Ralph to me, not Ann.  But it's indeed Ann.

Cute earrings if you like to match.

This charm bracelet is nice too.

 

Loving all this horse-inspired stuff out there right now, just in time for the holidays!

 



SlippinSouthern on Etsy - Shop!

Need something creative and different for the holidays?  Go no further than the best place on the web to shop for one-of-a-kind stuff.  This store rocks, southern rock, that is.  SlippinSouthern makes handmade signs, animals, clever words and unique wall décor that is fun, reasonable, and well, you won't find this at Pottery Barn.

Go here to shop. 

The fox is my favorite. And this one is almost three feet long!

Horses, of course!

Christmas!

Southern lingo!

And great colors!



Paperwhites

One of my favorite holiday traditions is forcing Paperwhite bulbs for the holidays.  I got an early start this year and bought twice as many bulbs so I can keep these babies going through January.  And it is so easy and inexpensive.  All photos are from Pinterest.

 

 

When they get tall just wrap them in ribbon.  I bought some burlap ribbon to tie mine in.

You can buy these at most garden shops by the bulb, usually .99 per bulb.  And a starter kit makes a great gift.