My Thanksgiving Secret - Greenberg Smokey Turkeys

About ten years ago someone told me about Greenberg Turkey, a company based in Texas, that sells smoked turkey.   I believe that Oprah is a big a fan and ever since, almost every year, I have ordered one for Thanksgiving.  If you don't want to pass up the work of doing your own turkey for Thanksgiving then consider ordering one for Christmas.  You will not be disappointed.

They are the easiest to work with, you place your order, tell them what day you want it to arrive (and mine has never not arrived on the exact day), wait for the UPS man to deliver it to your doorstep and you are ready for dinner.  It comes in a large box, wrapped in foil.  You don't have to do anything but warm it up.

You can order one as small as six pounds and as large as 13 pounds.  I have ordered the smaller ones and they have a chart that tells you how many people each size should feed.  These are the very best turkeys and your guests will thank you.  Learn more about this great brand here.  Gobble gobble!

The Breeders' Cup is Here

I wait all year long for this weekend - the Breeder's Cup - and this year's version at Santa Anita is no exception.

You can download the official program here.

The races start late on Friday afternoon (you can see them live on the NBC Sports Network both days but NBC will be airing the Classic on Saturday night in prime time) with the juvenilles racing first.  The two-year-old colt race will be a great one to watch even with the scratch of undefeated Maxfield yesterday.  My favorite for that race is still Dennis' Moment and if he wins, it would ensure him of an Eclipse Award for top two-year-old colt. Isn't he cute?

 The old favorites will be front and center from this past season:  War of Will in the Classic, Omaha Beach in the Dirt Mile (my favorite to win as well), McKinsey in the Classic, and my favorite to win it all, Code of Honor.  Top three-year-old honors will go to whomever has the best outing - Code of Honor, War of Will (if he should win), or even Omaha Beach if he should win.  Maximum Security is absent unfortunately but back in training and winning against the older horses.  He is still in the running for year-end honors.

If you can't be there you can always dress like you were there and I love the products Rebecca Ray has produced for Santa Anita and next year's races at Keeneland.  These will make great holiday gifts. You can see her collection here.

Packing for a Mid-Winter Holiday Trip

A mid-winter trip is in the works and as with anything, planning ahead makes the entire ordeal much easier.  I try not to take a lot of stuff but at the same time want to be well-dressed and not looked upon as that "sloppy American" who looks like she just got out of bed.  When I travel I make an effort to dress well. You won't find jeans, sweat pants, t-shirts or tennis shoes in my suitcase. 

I've been planning this trip for a while. Last year on my winter trip to France I wore black.  This year I am going brown.

As usual I start with a coat as it's going to be chilly.  I have an older version of this coat which I love as it's lightweight and comfortable but mine is lined in a bright mustard color.  This will be worn every day for sure.

The shoes have been an issue as we'll be doing a lot of walking and it's going to be chilly. I have terrible feet (a huge bone spur) and narrow heels so finding good shoes that look good but are also comfortable has been difficult.  I likely will take my Dubarry boots but they aren't always good for walking in all day and they are hard to pull on an off.  But they are warm and waterproof.

So I have bought a few pairs to try on (they have not arrived yet) but here are my choices:

These are in the mail:

I had a pair of Sketchers last year that I just recently wore out but they were gray.  I plan to order these if the ones above don't work out.

My brown Belgian Loafers will also be in the suitcase.  They go with everything and I can wear them all day.

These gloves will be going with me too:

I bought a few pairs of pants this fall, all will be in my suitcase.  These Madewell pants are the most comfortable pants I have worn in memory.  They can be paired with a neutral turtleneck and flats.

I ordered two pairs of pants from Everlane and I am hooked.  J Crew used to be my source but I have moved on to Everlane.  You should try them if you have not already and you can't beat the price. These don't look particularly good on this model (not sure why they do this) but I bought these in houndstooth and in ochre.  Both will pair nicely with the browns.

I'll pair these with turtlenecks, crewneck sweaters and a few Hermes scarves.  I will take a white cotton blouse to wear with this sweater in case it's not terribly cold.  This pairs nicely with the houndstooth pants and I may add a pair of black leggings since they don't up much room.

This was a splurge but I thought a backpack to use as a handbag would be a good idea (hoping so anyway).  This will go with everything and it's a bit different. The quality is excellent as you'd expect. See it here.

And I'll take these shoes to wear for dressier evenings and likely a black turtleneck for an all black ensemble.  Last year I took a black dress which I only wore once so I won't take a dress this time.

Saving lots of room in my suitcase for shopping too! 

More Drunk Elephant

I blogged about this cute new brand a few months ago and I wanted to report back as I have been using more of their products since my initial report in June.

I bought this earlier in the summer and have been using this ever since, on days when I am out in the sun.  Very soft, not greasy, acts like a moisturizer too. 

This is by far my favorite product and I use this once a week and look forward to it.  It works wonders for my face and it tingles just the right amount when I use this.  You look like you've spent $200 on a facial.  Would highly recommend this.  You won't be disappointed.  It did not win all those awards for nothing.

Top off the Babyfacial with this oil.  I am not an oil person at all but I like this one but only use it after the facial.

I have been using the eye cream since early summer and highly recommend it.  It is light, not greasy or oily.  I have not tried the eye serum but it's on my wish list. 

I have been using this moisturizer during the day for about a month and really like it.  It is not heavy and likely too light for the dead of winter when I'll want something heavier. 

This is the one product I probably would not recommend.  I have a sample that I have used but I am not sure what it does.  It bronzes the face a bit (which I don't really like) and other than that, I don't know what it really does.  Save your money for the other stuff.

 

I highly recommend this brand.  And let me add that I am not getting paid or given free stuff for this posting, this is truly my opinion.  You can shop the brand here and there are some good offers for free samples with purchases right now.  Sephora also sells the line - a good spot to try it on for size when you're in the store.  Hope you try this! 

Vintage Equestrian Finds on Etsy

It's been a while since we've been hunting on Etsy.  Here are some fun finds this Sunday morning......

Love these Royal Worcester, perfect to hold soap and a toothbrush for a bath or powder room. And very well priced too.  See these here.

If you are interested in starting a collection of equestrian china, this is a good pattern to consider.  You can pick this up here and there on Etsy and Ebay and put together an entire set.  See it here.

Love this Bacova tray.  This would make a perfect holiday gift for a fox hunting friend.  See it here.

This is one of my favorite vintage patterns and you could piece together an entire set of this if you have the time and patience to find it or just just this as a decorative plate.  Very well-priced too. See it here.

Here are cereal bowls that go with the green china above.  Start collecting!  See them here.

Another old pattern that I would love to collect is Coaching Days from Royal Doulton.  See these two plates here.

These vintage cocktail napkins are fabulous.  See them here.

 

Love these vintage cocktail napkins which I would make into pillows. See them here.

Love this picture!  See it here.

Love this Thelwell linen towel.  See it here.

Love this vintage horse race game.  See it here.

Love this one and am very tempted to add this to my own collection.  See it here.

Happy hunting!  Vintage is always best.

Pumpkin, I Mean Equestrian, Orange

Orange is not just for pumpkins.  It's one of my favorite colors to wear and you can find it often in Hermes scarves among other things.  So when you think of orange, think beyond the pumpkin.....

Love this fall vest from Talbots. It is so Hermes to me.  The vest is a brighter orange in real life. It's a classic for sure. 

This orange dress from Boden would pair nicely with the Hermes scarves.  See it here.

Or this bright orange coat from J Crew in cashmere.  Lovely!  See it here.

Or this quilted hoody just in time for cold weather.  See it here.

If you live in a warmer climate you might prefer this vest for the cooler weather and wear into spring.  See it here.

And I love this vest from Barbour, perfect for right now.  See it here.

And I love this coat from Boden.  See it here.

And this lighter jacket from LL Bean is perfect for layering. See it here.

Isn't orange the new black?  Have a great Friday!

More Cheeky Needlepoint

If your winter stitching stash needs a bit more padding, then you've come to the right place.  Just love this line of needlepoint (most came from designer CBK) and I'll be stitching away all winter long - hoping for a cold winter.....

You can order these from The Needle Bug.