Thursday, September 28, 2017

Thursday's Threads

Happy Outfit Day! It's been in the 80's here for the last week or so, and I am LOVING it! I wish it wasn't ending tonight. But alas, overnight lows in the 40's starting tomorrow. Wah. Anyway, my riding outfit last night matches the Thursday's Threads header so we should definitely start there today, don't you think?

See?? Purple and Teal! Just like my header! And the ponies wore it too! (I'm skipping the helmet today since clearly it's the same one as the last two weeks.)

Shirt: Horze
Do you guys remember when I mentioned in the spring about one of the local tack shops closing because the owners wanted to retire? Well, I guess retirement is boring because they've re-opened, but in a little bit different light. They're only going to be carrying the Horze brands now, so the selections are somewhat limited. I don't mind though, they have some cute lines! I picked this polo shirt up at their grand re-opening this past weekend. I LOVE the plaid on the collar!

Belt: Mane Jane
I know you've seen the green side of this belt a bunch. It's the one that matches my La Mundial boots perfectly. But I'm not sure I've shared this purple side with you yet? I love the tone and the texture on this one, and it's pretty close to the same color as my top!

Breeches: Annie's USA
These are the older version of Annie's with the velcro bottoms and no euro seat in the green tea color. I LOVE the color. And honestly, Annie's breeches are like wearing pj's. SO COMFY!

Socks: Lettia
You'll see shortly that my Lettia socks match the boys' saddle pads. Yeah, I'm a dork. THAT'S NOT NEWS!

Boots: Stivali Romitelli
You guys haven't seen these in a little bit! I still love them despite them being so short. I think this may be my favorite brand of custom boot to date. When the time comes to retire the Parlantis, I think I may get new show boots from this brand. Obviously that won't be anytime soon since I don't show and therefore do not wear the Parlanti boots.

I didn't get to photograph Rio's outfit because my mom called while I was tacking him up. Mom calls last forever generally, so by the time I got off the phone with her, he was already untacked, bathed, and put away. I did steal some stock photos of his accessories though! We'll start with Jampy.

Jampy wore this Lettia baby pad with the cute bow embroidered on it. I love that they do both sides so he has a bow on the left and the right! I'm not sure the brand on the girth. I think they may be from Jack's but not positive. I got them through Tack of the Day. Rio wore an identical girth (just a size bigger). The tendon boots I got several years ago, and they are by Norton.
And here are Rio's accessories:

Rio's pad is Lettia also, but is a regular saddle pad as opposed to a baby pad. He could use a little extra cushion. I love that the bows are actually embroidered all over and aren't just a screen print. His boots are by HKM. I am a big fan of these boots for flatting and have a bunch of colors. They wash and dry too!

Ok, on to today's work outfit!
It's pretty temperate out there today, with highs right around 80, but it's the last day! Tomorrow starts official fall feeling weather. I dressed in layers today because my office is always freezing.

Tank: Modcloth
Cardigan: Haley and the Hound
This tank hangs a little funny on it's own, so once it arrived I went searching for a nice cardigan to wear over it. This one matches almost perfectly! I should have grabbed a better shot of the pony print on this shirt though. It's adorable with blue, pink, green, and yellow horses all over. There are also ribbons sprinkled in too. So cute!

Jeans: Kancan
There's nothing particularly special about these jeans. They're your basic blue. Very stretchy and comfy though!

Shoes: Lucky Brand:
I saw these loafers quite awhile ago on super sale at 6PM.com and jumped on them. Obviously they're playing on the lucky brand theme, but I did secretly wish they both had horse shoes on them. Either way, they're comfy, and I like them very much!

Arm Party!
Lefty:
Lefty is wearing the daintiest little wrap bracelet that I'm pretty sure I got from Nicole's Creations, along with my trusty apple watch. He's still wearing his sport band, there's been no discussion of how my leather band is faring... I hope it's gonna make it!

Righty:
Righty is donning a Nicole's Creations sandwich! The gorgeous one in the center came from Nicole and it's sandwiched between two Ettika bracelets. I LOVE the little horse shoe one so much!

That's what I'm wearing today! What do you have on? How's the weather in your area? Any favorites from today?

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

What's Up Wednesday

So, the fence still isn't up this Wednesday... but it's further along then last week at least. I hate what they did with my gate, but it's better than what they first attempted so I think I'll choose my battles. Otherwise it's really nice though! Time will tell how it holds up, but I'm hopeful it will be sturdy and won't break constantly like the old one. Here are some preview pics:



The rails do have some give to them, so they're not as sturdy feeling as regular wood. But I think the give might be a good thing because it can absorb some shock. Hopefully. I'm sure the horses will test it out as soon as I let them out there. Which will hopefully be no later than Saturday!

I'm still relegated to riding on the front half of the ring since the back is still holey and under construction. It's been great for working with Jamp because he's been cheating a lot and I didn't realize it until I had a smaller area to work him on. It's hard to tell though, if he's having a hard time keeping himself together, or if he's just so tense that it's not working. I'm thinking it's the second one, just because I know him pretty well.
Rio on the other hand is afraid of very little, and he insists on exploring all the stuff in the ring, regardless of which end it's at.
Or if it's dark out. Big brave boy!  He's already tried to eat the new fence. Quality control works 24/7 around here.
They had their fall shots yesterday so it's been an easy couple of days. Hopefully this weekend they'll be feeling good AND we'll be able to use the entire ring! Big things on the horizon!
It was a relatively low key weekend for us. I had a braiding job for a lead line/walk trot pony on Sunday morning early. I asked the trainer if she wanted normal yarn or something fun for the little girls. She was game for the fun so this happened:



It was a little tough to braid her nicely because she rubbed off the bottom half of her mane this spring. It's grown back a lot, but it's still pretty short. I didn't want to shorten the top part that much, so I just did the best I could. But the colors were really fun! They matched the kid's hair bows too! So cute!

In other news, my new Regals arrived and my feet are pretty happy about that. I was amazed at how worn the soles were on the old ones. I mean I knew they were worn because it hurt to step on anything not flat, but the comparison to the new pair was kind of shocking. Isn't it cute how the new pair stands up? I'd put boot trees in them, but the whole point is to be able to abuse them. Sorry new Regals, I hope you're prepared to be treated poorly.

The painters finished working on my house Monday. Isn't it amazing what a new coat of paint will do? The place looks so much better! And they even touched up my historical sign:

I don't yet have an update on the rot problem in the wash stall. I left a voicemail with my original contractor yesterday, but haven't heard anything back. We have another one who's been doing work for the family on a variety of projects, so I have a back up if the original guy doesn't answer.
That's what's up this Wednesday! I shall leave you with this amazing sunset from last week:



Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Truthful Tuesday

I like to think that outwardly I'm fairly level headed and rational. I try to keep that image of myself out there in public. But honestly, sometimes, in my head I can be super dramatic. Fortunately, it's only like half my brain that succumbs to the drama so the other half talks me down before word gets out...
I've been a little stressed out with all the projects getting done on my property. I'm just finishing up having all the buildings painted plus the fencing project is about halfway done at this point. I'm a little like Jamp (shocking revelation, I know!) in that I much prefer routine. Having no ring and trying to help Jamp cope with all that has been pretty stressful. Rio handles it fine emotionally, but the limited turnout is starting to take it's toll on his legs. He's definitely started to stock up more than normal, and I know (or at least I think I know...) that it's just because he's not getting to move around enough. Hopefully just another couple of days though!
Anyway, here's where I got dramatic. Last night when I was rinsing Jamp off after our ride, I grabbed the broom from the corner of the wash stall:
That broom there. This is said corner. Anyway. I grabbed the broom to sweep up some shavings before washing Jampy off. And I found this behind the broom:
That my friends is very much NOT GOOD. Yes it looks burnt, but it's not. Or at least I'm pretty close to certain it is not. It doesn't smell burned, and definitely has more of a mildew type aroma, so I'm thinking it's rot. Though the washer and dryer are on the other side of the wall, so it's not impossible that it's burnt. The dryer hasn't suggested any type of malfunction and it is properly vented, so I'm fairly confident it's not that. I'm pretty perplexed though, since it definitely did NOT look like that Sunday when I did chores!
So yeah. I saw that and immediately though this is why I can't have nice things. Followed up by holy shit, my barn is going to be condemned! It's falling down! The whole place is gonna rot! (No drama here.) Then of course, I was all, maybe I should just give up now. I have a young horse that I have done nothing with, and two old ones. Maybe I just find a place to board the old ones (you know, since clearly this place will be condemned) and enjoy them till they cross the bridge, sell the young one, and go take up competitive eating.
As you can see, I was being completely rational about this little problem. Fortunately, that lasted only until I finished bathing Jampy. By the time I got on Rio I was mentally drafting my email to my dad (who's away on business of course) to figure out who can remedy this situation. Hopefully I'll hear back from him soon so I can start making calls and get this resolved.
What about you? Are you completely rational all the time? Or completely irrational? Do you get overwhelmed when your routine is interrupted? Or am I the only crazy one on these here interwebs? (LOL! I KNOW that can't be true!)

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Thursdays Threads

Outfit Day! It's been relatively warm here again which makes me pretty happy. If the sun would just make an appearance ANY day now, that would be the icing on the summery cake. We dodged a bullet with Jose staying off shore, so while we've had some wind, it's been mostly dry here. Just gloomy. I've dressed accordingly today:
Fall colored PONY DRESS! Yesssss! I figure I should wear sandals and dresses as much as possible since the misery of winter is just around the corner.

Dress: Peach Love
I actually have this dress in 4 different prints. Most I got on sale, one I got secondhand from Poshmark, and this one I paid ((GASP)) retail for! They were already sold out of size small, and I couldn't risk missing out on the medium. So I splurged. Pony dresses are worth splurging on. Plus I think I can make this one work through fall by adding leggings and a cardigan. So it will get plenty of use.

Shoes: Soda
As each season draws to a close, Modcloth offers Stylish Surprise. It's sort of like a grab bag, except you just get one item. Shoes are all ten dollars. Sometimes the risk does not pay off and my local charities get some new shoes. Other times I get some good finds. I once got a pair of Irregular Choice shoes which retail for around $250 for $10. So that was definitely a win! Anyway, these were a Stylish Surprise order at some point. I liked them well enough to keep, but probably wouldn't have bought them on my own. I'm glad they found me though because they match this dress PERFECTLY! If you know me at all, I was pretty stoked to have a great pair of sandals already in my possession to match my pony dress.

Arm Party!
Lefty:
Lefty is still missing the pretty leather band. The orange sport band doesn't quite match today's outfit, but hey, what can you do? Next to my bright watch is a vintage bangle. It's blue snakeskin on the band, and the clasp has some pretty blue rhinestones.

Righty:
Righty got all covered in Swanky Saddle today! I thought horsey themed bracelets only made sense to wear with my pony dress. In order: brow band cuff (fancy stitched, OBVIOUSLY), rein cuff, and curb chain bracelet. All of these are also available in silver tone at Swanky Saddle.

Boy, Thursday's Threads is really short when I wear a dress, isn't it?! Ha! Fear not, I have a riding outfit to share, despite that fact that some yahoo lighting off fireworks canceled my rides last night (only AFTER I was already on of course. Sheesh.) I guess I got all dressed up to hand walk them both. Always better overdressed than under though I say.

Yeah. These breeches are weird.

Helmet: One K
The One K has been getting a lot of rides lately! It fits a lot better with the XS liner in there. I'm very impressed with the ventilation on this one! I could really feel it last night since it was pretty windy out.

Shirt: Adult Ammy Strong
I love what Adult Ammy Strong stands for, but I especially like the logo. It's such a happy looking pony, I just want to smoosh its face!

Belt: Noble Outfitters
I forgot to grab a photo of my belt, but it's this one in this stock photo I stole from the Noble Outfitters website. It was the EXACT same shade of teal as my breeches. Pretty impressive.

Breeches: Ariat
I got these from Horseloverz not too long ago. They were marked WAY down, and generally I really like Ariat breeches so figured I'd grab a pair. But I didn't realize there were those stripes down the side. Not sure I love those. They're SUPER comfy though, more like wearing tights than breeches. Which normally, I don't DO tights. But these are technically breeches, so they can hang around. I love the color!

Boots: Tuffrider Regal
These guys are down to their last rides! My replacement pair JUST arrived today! No time to spare as I think I'm about to blow through the bottom of these.

Socks: 5 Below
I wore these awkward length Mermaid socks last night too. I got them from 5 Below, and I have a sneaking suspicion they're meant to be children's size knee socks. They're still cute though. And also perfect for when I wear my too short purple boots!

That's it for Thursday's Threads today! Have any favorites from today? How's the weather where you are?

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

What's Up Wednesday

Ugh. You know what's NOT up this Wednesday? My fence. That's what. I won't bore you with all the details of this project. But suffice to say it's going far too slowly, has been an epic disaster since the start, and I'm not at all happy. Neither are my horses who've only been turned out in a tiny little medical paddock since last Friday. Ugh. The place looks super weird without all the fencing up though, so here are some photos to stop me from whining:




With the fence down and the post holes not filled, riding has been a little challenging. Rio of course is just fine, but Jampy thinks his entire world has been turned upside down. Fortunately by Sunday he was feeling more agreeable so we had  a little fun cantering in and out of the ring. Might as well make some lemonade out of these lemons, right?!

I didn't feel like trying to jump would be a good choice with sir-spooks-a-lot. My luck he'd pull the runaway Jamp impression and run right into a hole. So no fun media this week. Hopefully we'll be back to our normal routine soon though. I hate to waste the last bit of riding season!
In other news, I nearly blew this little guy away with the blower. Once I realized he was clinging to the floor in the wind, obviously I stopped and let him hop up on my hand. Poor thing was missing a leg and STILL managed to not get blown away.

The puggers had a big weekend though. They got their fall shots Saturday morning and then spent the rest of the weekend like this:
They really know how to party. The highlight of my weekend was probably when I found an unopened box of Samoas hiding in the back of the oven.

Needless to say, they're gone now. No regrets. I guess that's it from here for What's Up Wednesday. Hopefully by next Wednesday the fence will be what's up!
What's up with you guys? Do anything fun this weekend?