An Equestrian Needlepoint Ornament Wreath

I fell in love with the needlepoint ornament wreath.  All those hours of stitching to use for only a month at Christmas?  No more.  Why not enjoy your ornaments all year long?  A faux boxwood wreath from Etsy, add a few ornaments, a nice bow from Ivy Nursery, littered with a few non-needlepoint ones and you are all set.....  This is from 502Needlepoint on Instagram. Wish I could take credit for this wonderful idea.

I love the wreath above because I follow horse racing. Why not make one for the Triple Crown, the Breeders' Cup, the Keeneland meets, but also make one that is more generic, for equestrian in general?  She's selected lillys for the Kentucky Oaks, mint juleps for the Derby, Kentucky state ornaments in case you live in Kentucky.

This is what I would add...

For interest, I'd add a wood ornament or two like this one from Etsy from IveBeenFramedByAmy

Love this one!

You need a few Bonnie Alexander ornaments for sure, now 20 percent off at the Stitching Fox.  Hermes horses! 

A good horse show ribbon always looks good on an ornament.  Maybe this is Apollo in a few years?

Love this one too!

Maybe a Staffordshire horse ornament?  Love this one.

A few fox hunting ones perhaps....

Love this!

Saturday Musings

It's been a bit of a shocking week: the demise of the Bill and Melinda Gates' partnership; the events still unfolding in India; the number of Americans who still refuse a Covid vaccine.  Why can't we get it together in this country and do the right thing for the good of the people, the country?  Shocking.  

While life is becoming more normal than this time last year, we won't see normal again for a long time.  The new normal will be different. Don't know if you've noticed but everything is getting expensive.  I bought another very cute, very inexpensive Lilly skirt recently from Poshmark. Vintage Lilly is best - all cotton, fully lined, adorable prints, trims. Love this vintage Lilly shift and it's $30 and a size 4.  Buying vintage is like recycling clothes. And the old stuff is so much better made....

This vintage skirt is a size 12 and is $30.  On Posh you make an offer and pay the shipping. I have bought most of my skirts for under $25.  You can return an item if it is misrepresented by the seller but  have never had to return anything.  It's so much easier than Ebay. 

Another skirt that I would buy if was in my size. LOVE this one.  It is a size 4 and $35.  Search "Vintage Lilly Skirt" and see what you find.  I prefer the longer skirts over the shorter skorts.  These come a few inches above the knee.  I wear these everywhere with tennis shoes and a white t-shirt. Pair with a jean jacket for a fun and comfortable look.

This one is a size 2 and is priced at $28.

I read on Facebook yesterday that people are sending their needlepoint canvases to finishers and the canvases are being stolen from the FedEx boxes.  The boxes arrive but they are empty. I don't know if it is true but more reason to take your canvases to a local shop, to a local decorator fabric store where they make pillows (and it is much cheaper to have them finished this way) or finish yourself.  

This is how I am feeling right now.....

I love these white jeans and saw a lady about my age at a horse show last weekend wearing something very similar and she looked great.  How she can pull off wearing white jeans to a horse show I will never know but I wear white jeans most of the year (except where there's a pandemic).  These are from J Crew.

I also discovered this brand at the same horse show.  It's made in Canada and I see many of the young riders wearing these shirts with breeches.  But you can just as easily pair this with sweats or jeans. It comes in many colors. 

I love this new color from Juliska. This would make the perfect Mother's Day gift but it is not in stock in this color. This may be on my holiday wish list. Love the pink.  My orange plates are a favorite.

Fun New Needlepoint

 It seems that needlepoint has exploded, it is everywhere. There are so many new vendors, new canvases out there, I am not certain that my current stash holder is large enough.  Here are some new picks to add to your own stash right now.....

1) Holiday Tally Ho Boot

2) Retro Daisies

3) Easter Sign

4) Pink Bow

5) Sunflower Pillow

6) Sampler Pillow

7) Hermes Horse Ornament

8) French Country Flowers

9) Red Gingham Wreath

10) Brick Cover

Enjoy your day!

The Jones' Boys

Now that Bob Baffert has surpassed Ben Jones' record for the most Derby wins, at seven, it's worth remembering the great "Plain Ben" Jones and his son, Jimmy.  Never heard of them?  We lose our history don't we?  It's very sad that we do - if it's not on Facebook or Twitter today's world doesn't know about it.  But those of us who love history and racing history in particular, know about the Jones' Boys.  The Paulick Report wrote a great article about Ben Jones recently and you can read it here.

This a great book to read if you can find it.  There are copies out there on Ebay and Thrift Books but it is expensive. Highly recommend it.

Remember Citation and Coaltown, two of the greatest horses of their day?  Back then, race horses appeared in popular culture routinely.  Love this from Etsy.

You can read an earlier post about Citation, another Jones' Boys, Calumet Farm super horse.  Read about Calumet Farm today here. I would love to see it.  Enjoy your Monday.  Stay safe.

Medina Spirit - A Rags to Riches Story

 There is a movie here for sure.....

What a great story, a $1000 foal, a $35,000 two-year-old, a first-time Derby owner, a breeder who did not really breed, a Hall of Fame trainer and jockey.  All it takes is guts, a will to win, supreme talent and timing.  Read this great story here.

Medina Spirit as a colt

Fun Summer Shoes

Summer is coming and our desire to be constantly casual will continue except for weddings (maybe they'll be casual too) and funerals (casual is rude).  Here are some casual summer picks that I am loving right now......

Love how Loveshack Fancy channels Teva.  See them here.

These are adorable as well and come in several colors but many are already sold out. Sigh.  See them here.

I still love these and like that they have a little bit of height to them. Pre-order here.

Still loving these Kate Spade espadrilles. They have them now in black, navy and tan.

 

Tie-Dye is so in, so what not have shoes?  See them here.

And these are so cute in this color.  See them here.

Bring the Provence look to your closet with these sandals:

The pandemic has taught me to love super comfortable, fun, pull on, comfortable shoes like these from Nike.

While a little dressy by our new standards, these will go with every dress in your closet this season.

I don't know about you but I am tired of wearing the same pair of shorts, jeans, sweats and shoes.  Pull something new to wear this week and stay safe!

It's Derby Day

 It's Derby Day, one of my favorite days of the year. While it's still not "normal" the race will go on, someone will own a horse for the history books and the stud fees will go up.  If yesterday's Oaks is any guide, it will be a great race.  The two undefeated fillies battled it out in the stretch with the favorite winning by a close margin.

If you can't be there, you still have time to order your Derby merchandise.  Love this top from Vineyard Vines.

I love this pillow, perfect for a porch or patio.  Derby Day every day!  See it here.

I pull out my Old Morgantown Glass Jockey Stems for Derby Day.  They were made only in these two colors, amber and clear, for Gulfstream Park in Florida. I have a set of 12 and I use them only for special horse race days.

 

Love this hat.  I had my Frosted hat on yesterday.   He raced in the Derby in 2015 and sired one of the favorites for the Oaks yesterday, Travel Column, but she did not win.  

My house is full of vintage horse racing stuff.  You can never have too much vintage horse in your house. Agreed? 

(Vintage Picture)

 And of course there is horse racing needlepoint.  Love this pillow and it was so fun to stitch.

And my pick for the Derby today?  Essential Quality.  The Brad Cox trained colt is all class.  The favorite won yesterday and I am hoping he will win today. It will be a fast track and a beautiful day.  Everyone ride safe. See you on the rail (maybe next year).