Equestrian Prep T-Shirts - The Cutest T-Shirts Ever

Okay, a picture is worth a thousand words, right? These are simply the cutest........

You can shop the collection here.

Gift Ideas for the Horsey Set

If you're ahead of the game and have your shopping completed, good for you!  But most of us aren't that organized and have a way to go with our shopping list.  Finding that perfect little something for the horse lover, rider, trainer, enthusiast, is so much easier now, online.  Here are some suggestions in case you need them.

1) Beyond the Fence 
This is a great cookbook, with recipes and entertaining ideas from the the horse farms of Lexington, KY. See it here.

2) Gien Platter
More china!  I love this Gien pattern and they also make these in other disciplines - racing, show jumping.  See it here.

3) Horseshoe Three-Bowl Server

Arthur Court serve ware makes a great gift.  You can also buy these individually. See it here.

4) Keeneland Entertains

This is a great book which can be used as a coffee table book, an entertaining manual or as a cookbook.  It would make a great gift for anyone who has been to Keeneland or for someone who is planning to go there. See it here.

5) Win Place Show Pillow

Need I say more?  See it here.

6) Snowman, the Book and the Movie

It comes out in January. Reserve yours now for January delivery. What a fun gift to send someone!  See it here.  Send the book now and follow-up with the movie when it comes out in early 2017.

7) Tiffany Horseshoe Pendant

Who doesn't like receiving a little blue box from Tiffany?  See it here.

8) A Donation to Your Local Horse Rescue

Make a donation in your friends' names to your local rescue.  There's no better way to help our four-legged friends in need.  Here's one to visit.  

 Hope your Thanksgiving holiday was perfect in every way.  Safe travels today if you are on the road!

The New Old Magazine, Flower

Magazines have a changed a lot over the years, with the advent of the Internet, the economic meltdown of 2008 and other factors that have changed the way we read, browse and get our news.  I long for Southern Accents, one of my favorite magazines that is no more.

One of the newer magazines out there, Flower, which has southern roots I might add, reminds me of Southern Accents.  See it here.

While the theme tends to be flowers, the editors link flowers to decorating, entertaining, etc.  So it's not a magazine for those who garden or grow flowers.

J Crew - What Were They Thinking?

J Crew is my "go to" store for clothing day in and day out and I love their stuff.  Their recent catalog is full of things I love but sometimes they really miss.  And when they miss, they really miss. 

Is this the new style, the Amish look?  School marm look?  Seriously?   Early 1980's retro?

Is there anyone on the planet other than Karlie Kloss who could wear this?  Maybe for Halloween next year?  Maybe this would work for anyone who needs to add an extra 20 pounds to their mid-section.  Awful.  Beyond awful.  I can picture the Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice in this though, can't you?

Is anyone game for this $600 Italian satin embellished striped top in a green color I haven't seen since I watched Invasion of the Body Snatchers?  Would you dole out $600 for this?  And what's up with those "sprinkles" across the front of this Italian wonder?  Ugly. Simply ugly in every way.

This "collection" embellished polo is now on sale for $150 marked down from $250. I wouldn't pay $100 for this pink, excuse me, "summer sorbet" shirt.  How in the world do you wash this thing?  Does it jingle as you walk?  Awful.  Who would wear this?  Anyone? 

Embellished floral clutch in "vinyl" is now marked down to the bargain price of $149 from $199. What a deal!  A hideous vinyl clutch for $200. Will it melt in hot climates? This looks like the purses my Barbie dolls came with in the early 70's.  Maybe there is someone in Brooklyn who thinks this is pretty other than Jenna.  But I doubt it.

 

An Equestrian Thanksgiving

I'm not hosting Thanksgiving this year, but if I were, I'd love to set a table for the holiday like this and I'd use it all fall until the Christmas dishes come out.

I love this china from L.V. Harkness.  I would use the salad plates and they make some bowls that go with this.  I don't care much for the rust colored plate or the charger.  But let me add a few things to make it work.

I would use these dinner plates from Gien.  I love the green and they can be used with so many different salad plates to create different looks all year long.

Use these rattan chargers:

This flatware I'm in love with.  Ballard Designs has a set too that Bunny Williams created that is similar and reasonably priced.

Depending on your table you can use a cloth or place mats. I'd use ones that are simple, plain and don't detract from the china.  My table is huge, so I don't use a cloth. 

Use these napkins from Pomegranate:

I'd add some pumpkins around the table to make it more festive. It's an easy way to make the table fall-like for very little money.

Add a few Nest candles in pumpkin spice. This smells great!

Hope your table is ready and the shopping is done!  Have a wonderful and safe holiday!

Saddle Leather and Tack Room Candle

If you LOVE the smell of new leather, then you're going to love this new scent from Lafco.  These are the best candles, they last forever, and the scent doesn't decrease with time like so many candles. I've blogged about this line before.   This new scent will make the perfect gift for the horse lover, trainer, rider, or anyone who loves the smell of new leather and just in time for the holidays!  See them here.  I'm putting in my order next week!

If you have not bought Lafco before, these candles are large, much bigger than Nest candles for example.  They last at least twice as long.

J Crew Holiday Picks

J Crew is waiting a bit late this year to roll out their holiday attire but I don't think you'll be disappointed as I personally have been underwhelmed by what I am seeing online at other retailers.  Some of these clothes remind me of the J. Crew of old, so let's hope they are trending in that direction.  There are a ton of things I love and the real roll out comes next week but some things are available for preorder online.  Some of these will surely sell-out quickly!

I can't figure out why they put three pockets on this jacket.  I'd be tempted to take the one off up top if that is possible.  But even with that, this is really cute.  See it here.

While this does not immediately scream "holiday" I do like that it's cotton and silk so I would dress this up a bit for the holidays.  I love this print that they took out of the decorating books.  Zebras are everywhere at J Crew right now.  I'd pair this with white wool pants, a black cardigan and a string of pearls. See it here.

The zebra shirt could also be worn with this skirt.

I love this shell and it also comes in navy which I like better.  I'd pair a white blouse underneath this and wear it throughout the holidays.  See it here.  I have an older model that is all sequins, black and burgundy color block and I love it.  You'd be surprised at how often you can make an occasion festive with sequins.

This is my favorite from this roll out. This will sell out very quickly. Love this and will wear this with jeans, with wool pants with various turtlenecks underneath. See it here.

There is a lot of tartan in this roll out. Here are a few more peaks:

Holiday Attire

Christmas is coming and that means parties and events, and dressing up.  I love this season and what fun it is to pull out a great dress or top for a festive evening.  Here are some of my picks for this fabulous season.

Alice and Trixie is one of my favorite brands and this dress will look great for the holidays.  It's already sold out on their website but likely is available somewhere on the web.

(Alice and Trixie)

I love this outfit from Trina Turk.

(Trina Turk)

If you have a formal get-together in which you can go long and dress up I love this outfit which to me screams "hunt ball."  You can custom order the skirt in tea length and a short version.

(Middy n Me)

This dress is quite versatile and would work well for the holidays from Joie.

(Joie)

This Alice + Olivia skirt is versatile and chic. Pair it with black, white, a wild color like hot pink and make a fun statement for the holidays.

(Alice + Olivia)

I love these pants from J Crew and have an old pair that I wear every season. They come in four colors now and will go well with sweaters for the holidays.

(J Crew)

Little Sorrel

If you love Civil War history and horses, then you'll want to include this book on your holiday shopping list. You can buy it here.

From the book:

Little Sorrel, the beloved war horse of one of the South's greatest generals, was originally a Northerner, and at fourteen hands, was among the smallest mounts of any officer on either side. A Confederate general once called him "a sorry chestnut with a shambling gait," but one of Jackson's aides said that in battle "the old sorrel horse seemed endowed with the style and form of an Arabian." Although he was the regular mount of one the war's greatest risk-takers, he survived Stonewall Jackson by twenty-three years and received a hero's funeral more than a century after the end of the Civil War.

The horse is preserved and stuffed and can be seen at the Virginia Military Institute Museum (for real). 

Vintage Virginia Horse Show Photos

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of seeing a treasure trove of old photos, a Chronicle of the Horse magazine from the 1940's and a prize list from the Deep Run Horse Show (near Richmond, VA) from 1946.  Things were so different back then.  This is an advertisement from Brooks Brothers that appeared in the Deep Run prize list.

This photo is from the 20's or 30's and is in Culpepper, VA.  The van supposedly belonged to Hope Scott, who was a Du Pont and owned near-by Montpelier, the homeplace of President James Madison.

These photos are from various shows, some we were able to recognize. Upperville for sure below....

lll

The photo above could be from Culpepper or Warrenton or maybe some other show in Virginia. Not sure. Ideas?

Winter Essentials for the Farm

It was a chilly 23 degrees F yesterday morning so while our fall has been warm and mild, winter is warning us that it's on its way.  So I am gearing up for the winter months when I venture out to barn when it's in the single digits on a regular basis.  And this season, I'm keeping the horses in regular work all winter.  So what helps me out in these conditions?  I have a few favorites......

1) Smart Wool Socks
These are the warmest socks bar none.  They don't hold up as well as other ones, so you'll go through a pair every year or so but worth it!

2) Good Winter Gloves
This is my "go to brand" and these are very warm.  I can use them for chores and I ride in them.  

3) Dubarry Boots
I just bought my second pair. My first pair is over 5 years old and still going.  These are warm, comfortable and they last.  Totally worth the expense.

5) Anything Rambo
My horses love me for this.  These last and they don't rub.  

5) Thermatex Blankets
For horses in winter work these are a great way to cool them out.  I love wool but you don't have to dry clean these.  

6) Pool Noodles for the Water Hydrants
Sounds crazy doesn't it?  For your hydrants, never attach a hose during winter ever again.  These won't freeze ever.  Once it gets cold, take your hoses away use these to get the water into your outside water buckets.

7) Heated Water Buckets
Horses won't drink really cold water.  Eliminate this problem with bucket warmers.  

8) Anything Arcteryx
I dress in layers and the Arcteryx brand is the warmest by far. And this stuff lasts forever.  One of my shirts is 15 years old and still going strong. 

9) A Good Bottle of Wine
Nothing warms like a great Chardonnay at the end of the long cold day.