Upperville Virginia Equestrian Estate Hits the Market

Newstead Farm in Upperville, Virginia, a storied equestrian estate where Genuine Risk (the filly who won the Kentucky Derby) is buried and home to the Firestone family, a family of horse lovers and owners, of show jumpers and race horses can be yours for a cool $13.5M.   See the listing here.

Breyerfest Excess

A recent article in the New York Times about Breyerfest brought back fond childhood memories of days spent circling my tiny bedroom with horse models, all made by Breyer, a company that is still going strong after all these years.  My "Cantering Welsh Pony Model" is now highly collectable and my "Midnight Sun" model still reigns.  You can read the entire article here.  But the article really hit a nerve for some reason.

(Midnight Sun for Sale on Etsy)

 (Grazing Foal - Vintage Model - on Etsy)

If you weren't a horse crazy girl then maybe you aren't familiar with this rite of passage.  Every year, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, the masses converge to buy and sell Breyer horse models and the associated products.  It's like Christmas for collectors and for girls who would never part with their coveted models that now include horses like American Pharoah or the famous show jumper, Snowman.

(Snowman)

(New York Times photo)

Like everything else in America, we've commercialized, supersized and created markets for things that never existed 30 years ago so we can have more.  While we were happy cantering our models around the yard, with jumps made from sticks and straws, you can now buy just about everything you never thought you needed for your Breyer horses - saddles, halters, blankets, barns, horse trailers, riders, riding clothes - they have thought of everything. They come now in several sizes or scales so you can three collections instead of just one.  There's nothing left to chance. 

You can even buy handmade boots for your Breyer horses on Etsy.  Got to love that entrepreneurial spirt!

 (Boots on Etsy)

Some of the traditional models are still around like Misty of Chincoteague which you can buy most anywhere with the book or movie, and foal.

I guess it's logical that this market would grow and expand and create a need for things we really don't need at all.  That seems to be evolution of most everything in America now and maybe that's why we can never have enough. But at least the market still exists for little girls who only want to canter their models around in lieu of being able to own the real thing.

As a side, note, there's even a Breyfest Tote Bag that you can buy off the web site in case you didn't make it to Kentucky.

(Breyerfest Tote Bag)

Happy Monday!

New Beauty Products

It's always fun to try out new beauty products. I have a few products that I won't veer away from but am always on the hunt for new ones to try and add to my repetoire.  Here are some I'd like to test out:

I love a good mask and miss the black mud mask that Erno Lazlo used to make.  So this one would be fun to try:

(Sisley Mask)

I'm a sucker for anything with grapefruit in it so of course, this scrub looks enticing for the bath:

(Scrub)

This foaming cleanser looks interesting too:

(Cleanser)

I'd also like to try this mask from Dior:

(Mask)

I'd love to try this for my bath!

(Bath Oil)

 Armani lip gloss is great and I am always in the market for more.  Love the pink!

I'm a big fan of EL and I have not yet tried this product.  Their stuff is fantastic!

Happy Friday!

Rainy Day Blues

When it rains it pours.  That mantra is holding true this week in the Mid-Atlantic Region where any drought fears have been quickly squashed, with mud.  We are getting lots of rain with nothing but rain in sight for the next few days.  These Herend rain boots are a perfect reminder that good things come from rain.

And with so much rain, you have to pull out your coat and boots this week if you plan to go out.  And remember, you can be fashionable even in inclement weather.  Try this Kate Spade Raincoat, on sale now at Nordstrom.

This color block coat is also adorable and on sale!

And there's always Burberry, an investment piece but so worth it.

(Burberry)

I love this Rag & Bone Raincoat on sale.  

I love this Barbour jacket too, greatly reduced but in limited sizes.

Another great deal available now on this practical Barbour Coat.

The Timeless Lilly Skort or Skirt

One of my summer wardrobe staples is a Lilly "skort" or skirt.  These short skirts were once worn by golfers but over time they became part of everyone else's wardrobe.  I have a handful of these, many very old, but classic enough to wear even today.  The "skort" is a combination shorts and skirt in one like the picture below.

I'll admit, I like the older ones much better like this one for sale on Poshmark:

(Size 00 Lilly Skirt)

(Lilly Skirt)

I wear these at horse shows when I am not competing, with sneakers and a t-shirt.  They are comfortable and look nicer than shorts or jeans. 

(Lilly Skirt)

 (Lilly Skirt)

(Navy Skirt)

 (Lilly Skirt)

(Lilly Skirt)

(Lilly Horse Skirt)

Peacock Alley Picks

Peacock Alley is a great source for fine linens.  Their sheets are top quality and all of the products I have ever purchased have held up well.  The price point is high but in linens, quality is very important.  You can't buy inexpensive super soft, well-made sheets anymore.  The good news is they are having a sale.  Use code VIP20 for 20 percent off. Here are some of my picks.

I love these sheets in blue:

(Emma Sheets)

It's difficult to find good cotton blankets anymore that don't snag. These waffle weave ones will do the trick and it comes in gray or white.

(Cotton Blanket)

I love this bathrobe!  It comes in several colors.  The aqua and blue are my favorites.

(Emma Bathrobe)

Good bathmats are also hard to find and this one is likely very good quality. It comes in several colors too:

(Bath Mat)

I also love this pique robe.  

(Robe)