What's Up Wednesday!

Well it's crunch time for medal finals.... So pretty much everything I do is revolving around horses. And work. But mostly horses. Sadly, I don't have much media to share from the past weekend. Hopefully I'll do better this weekend!
Jampy has been pretty fantastic of late.... I'm not sure why really, but I hope he keeps it up! I schooled him over jumps Thursday and Sunday. Both days went well, but Sunday he was really great. Very soft and was listening to everything I asked.

I know the photos are terrible. They're from Thursday and it was already getting dark out! Also, I grabbed them from video... so there's that.

You all remember Huey right? This guy:

Well, his owner wanted to take him to the Nona Garson clinic happening nearby last Saturday, but she doesn't jump anymore. She invited me to ride in the jumping portion of the clinic after she did the flat. It would be silly to say no to that! So obviously I jumped at the opportunity. For my non horsey and/or non hunter/jumper readers, Nona was a member of the US Olympic Show Jumping Team in 2000. She's a very accomplished rider, with many big wins under her belt.
Saturday morning was CRISP to say the least. The temps went from low 80's on Friday to low 50's. Brrr. And WINDY! But it was the perfect setting to see how Huey would behave away from his farm, especially in unsavory conditions. I'm not gonna lie... I was relieved to not be riding first. But as it turns out, Huey really could care less about new places, cold, nor wind. Quite a difference from Jamp! It was kind of refreshing to actually be able to focus on the task at hand rather than worry about what might be spooky.
 I'm sorry I don't have any photos from the clinic, but it was a lot of fun. I'm not sure I walked away with a ton of new information or things to work on, but Nona did reiterate the same things my trainer tells me. So I guess I already know what to keep practicing! Namely, I need to be looser through my elbows when approaching the jumps. I tend to get a little stiff through my arms when I see a distance I need to shorten our step for. Must stop doing that!

Sunday morning I went over to my trainer's farm to try one of her jumpers as another possible alternate for finals. This horse is a mare, also tall like Huey, but not as round. Her name is Cara. Here she is with my trainer winning the $10,000 Welcome Stake in VT in 2014:

Probably more scope than I need to jump around the New England Medal, huh? Cara is REALLY EASY to ride. If she isn't sold by this winter, I may actually try and head to WEF and do her in some adult jumpers.
My lesson with Cara went great. I had jumped her once last year, and had a tough time staying with her in the air. But I must be stronger this year, because that was less of an issue. She listens so well, I was actually able to be softer through my arms without even consciously thinking about it. The one possible negative toward using her for finals is that she does sometimes swap her leads in front of the fences. Not a problem in the jumper ring, but it's a pretty big mistake for an equitation class.
I'm hoping to have a lesson this weekend on Huey with my trainer since she hasn't seen me on him yet. Then she and I will decide which horse should be my alternate.
I'm pretty lucky to have these options! Sometimes I have to stop and ask myself if this is real life. I'm so grateful that I get to sit on such amazing horses. They are so far out of my budget, it's really special to me.

Rio has been hanging around happily as per usual. That leg of his is still swollen, but it does seem to be improving. They are getting fall vaccinations tomorrow, so I'll have the vet take a look while he's at the farm. Hopefully it's just a splint. Fingers crossed.

And yes, this guy is still here too:

Good thing he's that cute. I'm so frustrated with him!
The puggers are a bit annoyed with me since we haven't been able to fit in much play time outdoors. These already shorter days are the WORST! We miss summer! Thankfully, they have been getting in plenty of nap time:

In other news... I'm sure you've gotten your fill of lunar eclipse photos, but I have to share the ones my brother took:

I stuck them all together in a collage, so the quality is probably lacking, but they really were incredible shots. I have no fancy camera equipment, and I definitely couldn't get photos with the iphone! Thanks bro!

Saturday night, I met up with a bunch of friends and we went to a local fair. It was a ZOO! SO many people. I forgot they have a fairly major headline band (this year was Martina McBride) and that concert is always on Saturday night. There was a lot of trying to find each other throughout the night, as it was easy to get separated, but it was tons of fun! I ate lots of terrible food, pet some moo cows and llamas, and was just generally happy to be out doing something with friends. (I need to get out more!)

Pardon my 15 layers... it was freezing!

That's pretty much all I've been up to this week. What's up with you?!

Truthful Tuesday

I can't believe it's almost October already! Where does the time go? With the coming of Halloween season, comes also Indoors season in the equestrian world. What is that my non-horsey readers ask? "Indoors" are a series of horse shows that take place in indoor arenas. For most of them, you have to qualify to participate, which means most of the nicest horses and best riders in the country are in attendance. Since I no longer have a super fancy-pants pony, now must work for a living, and don't show all that much, I no longer partake in the indoor circuit. Hopefully someday I'll get back there. Until then, I must watch from afar... And that brings me to my confession today. I have this little set-up happening at work:

Do you think they'll notice me live streaming the Capital Challenge Horse Show? The bosses are all at a trade show, so it may be true that I'm taking advantage of the situation... BUT since I brought my ipad, I can totally work WHILE I watch the horse show. So I think really, it's a win for everyone.
In closing, I shall leave you with some old photos from my junior years when I actually did compete at Indoors.

Just Humour Me in the older small junior hunters, probably 1997

Opulence in the NAL Children's Jumper Finals 1998

Nicole's Creations: September

Woohoo! I received my Nicole's Creations September Surprise last week! (Sorry I'm a little behind on things...) I love this sub so much. For those who don't know, Nicole's Creations offers a monthly subscription service that delivers handmade jewelry to your door each month. There are two options, $10 a month or $20. I went with the less expensive option, and I have to tell you, I'm MORE than getting my money's worth! Nicole goes out of her way to read this little blog to get an idea of my style. And she completely delivers each month with a piece (or pieces) that I've totally loved!
Let's see what I got this month!

I LOVE these colors!!!! My photos do zero justice. But it's a light colored natural hemp with turquoise and olive colored beads. The little pendant-like bead in the middle is also that sort of olive color. SO PRETTY!

LOOK AT IT ON MY ARM!!! Sorry for yelling. But could it fit any more perfectly? I really don't think so. Nicole is awesome.

Matching ring! I love these little macrame rings. They're so cute, and they get softer the more you wear them.

I say it every month (literally), but I'm really impressed with the personal feel to this subscription. Nicole does a great job of designing pieces that she knows I'll love. Not only that, but she's excellent at her craft. Everything is so well made and fits perfectly. PERFECTLY!

What do you think of my new pieces from Nicole? If you'd like to try out the subscription, or even just browse the online shop, click here to head over to Nicole's Creations and see what she's all about!

Thursday's Threads

Happy Outfit day everyone! We're still having beautiful weather here in New England: sunny everyday with highs in the mid to upper seventies. I'm not going to pretend like I don't miss the 80 degrees. I do. I miss them terribly. But this isn't so bad. With the shift in weather comes a shift in sleeve length too. So you're going to be seeing a lot less of my arms going forward! Here's what I'm wearing today:

Wow that photo looked a lot better on my phone than it does on this blog! Sorry about that. As you can see, I'm well covered for these chillier temps and have started bringing the boots back out.

Top: Elie Tahari for Design Nation (Found at Kohl's)

This top is ridiculous in all the best ways. I love that it's black and white but the cabs are yellow. I get a late Autumn feel from this top for some reason... The arms are sheer on this one so it's perfect for this time of year when it's warm in the afternoon but cool in the morning.

Pants: Bamboo Jeans

I'm currently obsessed with moto-style pants. I saw these on Zulilly for 9.99 and was all, "get in my cart!" I should have gotten a size smaller I think, but they will likely shrink some when I dry them. Bigger is always better than smaller! I love the throwback feel of these with the acid wash and zippers at the ankles. So fun!

Boots: Passions

I've had these awhile now. Also from Zulilly, I think they were in the same price range as the pants! They're synthetic leather which normally isn't my thing, but they're very soft and comfy so I made an exception.

Arm Parties!
I must warn you, the arm candy is a little ridiculous today.

Lefty:

 See? Ridiculous. But so fun! Both of these crazy spikey bracelets were from the late Little Black Bag. They're stretchy and plastic. Quality ;)

Righty:

This chunky stretch bracelet was also from Little Black Bag. I had to wear all spikes today to match the baddassery that is my moto jeans. I'm hoping I can get my giant calves into my spikey tall boots from a couple of years ago once winter gets closer.

I didn't take any riding outfit photos this week (sorry!) but in lieu of that, I will share the outfit I wore to Yom Kippur services yesterday. Why you ask? Well... fox shoes. That's why.

I was a little worried this was a big short for synagogue. But it hits at the knee so I decided it was fine. 

Dress: Emily & Fin (via Modcloth)

I love the vintage feel of this dress and the fact that it has pockets! Plus it's hunter green. So obviously it's the best dress ever.

 Cardigan: Juicy Couture (SUPER OLD!)

The fabric buttons feel so vintage to me, so I thought it would pair well with the polka dot dress. I love the little ruffle effect on the bottom and on the sleeves. You can see that detail in the full length photo above.

Shoes: T.U.K. Shoes

Right? Cutest shoes ever made. I know. They're a hunter green velvet with faux leather foxes! Look at the little tail in the back! Ah! If you see these ever, get them. They're really comfy and so so cute!

Ok, that's all I have for today. What are you wearing? Is it cooling off where you live?

What's Up Wednesday!

Sorry for the super late post! Today was Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement. And how do we atone you ask? By sitting through a three hour morning service, fasting since sundown yesterday (seriously, no food NOR water!), then more synagogue. Only I'm not a very well behaved religious practitioner, so I skipped the last service and had a lovely break fast with my family instead. The lack of sustenance made it impossible to blog until I'd been fed. I had the hanger. No one wants to read hangry words!

Not a whole lot really happened this week with my kids, short or tall. Jampy has been GREAT! Even in the dark. (I miss long summer days SO MUCH!)

Rio somehow managed to injure his right front leg.... again. Since he's retired that doesn't mean much other than that he gets wrapped. I'm going to have the vet take a look next week when they get shots. Hopefully he'll be better soon. Thankfully it doesn't seem to be bothering him at all. Always something with that boy!

And the Duck... I'm really disappointed to announce that he's reverted back to the stationary hony. I've put all the time and money I'm willing to into him already, so I don't think I'll be riding him anymore. I have a family member with a farm out in the midwest and I'm trying to see if he can go live out there. He'll have a good life there, safe from ending up in an unfortunate circumstance, and he won't have to work. Which seems to be what he wants. It's really disappointing after having a really great summer with him.

even the western spurs couldn't get him to move forward!

Life's been pretty fantastic for the short kids. It's a lot cooler out, so they can enjoy more walks!

And naps:

On Sunday, I went and tried my neighbor's pre-green horse. I may take him with me to New England Medal Finals as a back up in case Jamp decides he's going to be too nervous to compete (like last year...) This is Huey!

I am SUPER RUSTY when it comes to riding horses other than my own. Like SUPER SUPER RUSTY. Things started out ok since I'm pretty good flatting strangers. And the first few jumps were fine too. But then I jumped the first line... It was a four stride, a little forward since it was our first line. I jumped in and legged him forward, but the fourth stride was pretty far away from the jump! Huey jumped anyway, and I was so left behind! Ooops. Thankfully he has a sense of humor. I came back and did it much better the next time. We jumped a few little courses, then added in the five stride across the diagonal. My neighbor put the oxer out of the line up to 3' since that's what we'll be jumping at finals. Well... we didn't make it down there in five. But again Huey left anyway. He didn't quite make it this time, taking the back rail (standards and all) down and stumbling on landing. Somehow, we both managed to stay upright thankfully. We tried that again and got it right the next time. But sheesh! Talk about feeling inadequate. I feel badly for torturing that poor horse! He's a good guy and didn't seem to take it personally though. I'm going to ride him again after work on Friday. Saturday Huey's mom and I are sharing the ride on him at a Nona Garson clinic. She's going to do the flat portion and I'll do the jumping part. Hopefully we'll get our kinks worked out! Sunday I'm going to ride my trainer's jumper who is my other option for a finals back up horse. Lots of riding in my future!

Well that's what's up this Wednesday! What's up with you?

Truthful Tuesday

Today's confession is of the fashion variety... I always swear I won't re-wear styles from my past. Especially ones that make me look super masculine... but alas my friends... This happened today:

Yep, flannels and skinny jeans are back. I'm going to have to play some Nirvana to really complete my throwback today.
Are you embracing 1993 too? Any fashion repeats you want to talk about?

Thursdays Threads

Outfit day is practically over, but I wouldn't leave you hanging till next week! I have to tell you, I had the HARDEST time dressing myself this morning. I have some new fall clothes I'm dying to show off, but it's 86 degrees out. I will say though, I much rather it be 86 and my fall clothes stay in their packages for a little while longer! Here's what I came up with:

Not bad right? Not too summery, but I'm not sweating either. Perfect!

Top: Max and Mia

This is a faux wrap t-shirt. Very simple, but cute at the same time. I found it on mega sale at TJ Maxx last winter when I was in Florida. I appreciate that little button at the top keeping everything together!

Pants: Beulah

 It's a little tough to see the detailing on these, but they have some faux leather up around the waist line, zippers on the bottoms, and some added stitching around the knees. They're super bad ass. I bought these off the Moxie.Style trading board on Facebook. They're releasing new colors on the website this Sunday though, and I'm pretty sure I will accidentally buy a few more pairs...

Shoes: Steve Madden

If you're gonna wear some edgy bad ass pants, clearly you should wear some shiny flats with spikes on the heels. Right? Duh. I should try riding Ducky in these...

Arm Party!
Lefty:

All repeats! But some of my favorites. First is the Rebecca Minkoff my sister-in-law gave me, next is my Keep Collective, and last is my trusty Rolex. Good looking stack if you ask me... but I might be partial.

Righty:

You've probably seen all of these at one point or another too... First up is the Ettika chevron bracelet (though I think they look more like hearts), next is one from Little Black Bag (seriously, I still miss them!), and last is from Forever21.

Considering I had three other long sleeved options all picked out, I think I did ok on short notice.

Riding outfit!
I didn't forget! Yeah actually, I totally did... But I remembered before posting!

Top: Express (OLD!)

Black polos never go out of style! I like these especially because they're pretty long and stay tucked in.

Breeches: Horsewares

Yeah... I really needed to size up in these. Hello butt! I love the color and the orange stitching, and the butt pockets! But I definitely need to either drop these pesky ten  fifteen pounds or pass these on to someone a bit smaller than me.

 Belt: No brand

You just saw this one last week. Clearly it's a favorite! And may or may not be the reason I ordered these breeches...

What are you wearing today?