Thursday, May 28, 2020

Thursday's Threads



Outfit Day! Just a horse outfit today but that's a nice change! It's on the cooler side here today, in the 60's and pretty dreary out there so long sleeves it is!
Long sleeves, but pastels for spring!

Helmet: One K Rose Gold Avance
Photo from last night's hand walk with Eros. Yes, I leave my helmet on for walking... It's just easier. Plus I hit my head a lot for a short girl.

Top: Equine and Design
This has a cute rose gold dee bit on the chest and says hunters on the sleeves. I have one in navy that says jumpers too. These are great tops!

Belt: Handy Hunter Boutique
I have this belt in gray and purple and got them when Handy Hunter was closing up their shop. They're really nice belts. 

Breeches: Dover Wellesley
The color of these is more accurately represented in the belt photo. Definitely more lilac than periwinkle. The Wellesley breeches are quickly becoming my go to's for everyday riding. I'm hoping to phase out my pipers with these. 

Socks: Dreamers and Schemers
Dreamers and Schemers now does a pair and a spare. Which means they add 1 bonus sock for every pair bought. If you buy two pair, you wind up with a free pair of socks! The spare is in this cute lost sock print. That's the sock monster on there! It's a cute promotion, and these happen to match my outfit pretty perfectly.

I am still wearing my Regal boots exclusively for now. I may branch out eventually... but for now I'm quarantining all my nice bots safely at home.

Arm Party!
Lefty:
Lefty is wearing my black wrap bracelet made with Rio's tail. I hadn't worn it yet, and I LOVE how it looks with my watch.

Righty:
Righty is donning the Fitbit in the gray strap, along with a rose gold leather strap I made to use with the Hermes clasp, and a gray patent wrap bracelet I also made awhile back.

That's it for today! Any favorites? 

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

What's Up Wednesday



Now that I'm back to horsing, things are pretty busy around here again. But definitely in a good way! I rode Shiny every day last week (except Monday when the barn is closed of course). She's a bit sassy... I think she was enjoying her temporary retirement. I've been very mindful of her lack of fitness, but she has MANY opinions if I ask for... pretty much anything. But I'm sure we'll work through it. I rode indoors the first several rides, but we've been outside a couple times now. It's great to be back in the saddle, even if it's not starting as calmly as I might have hoped.
For right now, Pammon is on full training board since I wasn't sure when I'd be returning to the barn. I have him getting ridden by the trainers Tuesday through Friday and I ride him on the weekends. The barn closes at 8 now, and it's pretty impossible to try and care for all three after work by 8. My stepmom is home now, so she can help out with Eros some days, and that will be easier once training board ends. Anyway, all that rambling to say I sat on Pammon both Saturday and Sunday. It's a little weird for me though... since he's on full board, they tack him for me and untack him for me.... I'm like one of THOSE amateurs. It's kind of nice as I ease into full time horsing though. And also helps to limit how much time I have to spend indoors breathing shared air. So I'll enjoy it while I can!
I didn't manage to get a between the ears photo which is kind of sad... but do remember that he's kind of nuts, and while somewhat heavily sedated, still not completely docile. So I was reluctant to fish my phone out of my pocket whilst trying to not die. It was quieter in the barn when I did him Saturday and he was completely perfect. He feels sound, though there is a definite difference between directions. He doesn't feel lame or anything, just clearly has a different feeling each way. Hopefully he'll even back out as he builds up his strength. He's only been trotting this week, so I can't expect miracles. Sunday was busier and he was a bit spooky. Thanks to the Resurpine AND ace that he gets, no one died. But I was glad for the chemical assist. He really can't hurt himself again. I need him to get better! And also, I don't want to fall off either.
Eros is still enjoying his hand walks. He's really such a good egg. I've been walking him in the outdoor ring and he almost never puts a foot out of place. Such the opposite of Pammon! I mean, they're both super sweet guys. But Eros is just so chill about life. 
One of us is more excited than the other about walkies...

In less horsey news, I've been trying very hard to use my time wisely when not working or at the barn. So that means still plugging away at getting my house back in order (I feel like this may never finish) and working out in the barn to get things re organized and the trailer stuff back in the trailer where it belongs. I've been horsing in the afternoon, so that leaves my weekend mornings open for such projects. And the evenings too of course. So first project of the long weekend was Friday evening. I had an order for some bracelets for horse show prizes that needed finishing. So I got those done:

Four each of three types/colors of leather and three different charms, for a total of 36 bracelets. And the show they are for is actually running, so that's exciting for them!

That took up most of Friday night since I also rode. Saturday was gross and rainy so I spent the morning doing stuff in the house. I put together the last shelf for the craft room and then got to work assembling these two trunks I got for the house. They will house various jackets. One for real life, and one for stinky horse coats.
This room is still the dumping ground for when other rooms get emptied... but that is where the trunk will live. One on each side of the french doors. Though I may add another next to it. I like that it doubles as extra seating! Also, cutout Rio will probably stay there too. 

After horsing Saturday I made banana bread in a muffin tin. Partially because I like to bake in my toaster oven, and partially because if I make one big loaf I'll eat it much too quickly. Separate ones help me have some self control. They came out pretty tasty!


And I haven't eaten them all yet. But they'll be gone soon. Not gonna lie. Ha.

Sunday was the most beautiful day we've had in a long while. I still spent part of the morning in the house putting the second trunk together and packaging up the bracelets. And eating a delicious bagel and lox sandwich.
Only half pictured because the other half went in my pie hole before the photo. 
But it was the perfect day to spend time with the horses in the afternoon! I can't remember what else I did Sunday. No idea. Hopefully it was productive.

Monday the barn was closed, but since it was a holiday, I also didn't have to work! It was kind of a cloudy dreary day, perfect for doing stuff in my barn! As I mentioned yesterday, I spent more time than anticipated cleaning up the trunk. But I had the time to spare, so it was fine. The trailer is almost done getting packed up.
Left room for the wheel barrow, my boots, and some odds and ends.

I just ordered a new bag for braiding stuff which will clean up that pile on the left.

Stuff that will go in that space above.

Boots and helmets still to go in trailer. (And Jamp and Rio. But they stay in the barn.)

I decided to replace the muck tub and buckets I travel with since they're so beat up. Once they arrive, they'll go in this corner.

Waiting for my Pledge to arrive so I can get the outside cleaned up.

This is where the trunk will live in the trailer.

I have to actually hook the trailer up and move it to get the trunk and wheelbarrow in it. My old trailer had the tack room door on the other side which was much more convenient for packing! But truthfully, I won't often take the trunk or wheelbarrow out much if ever at home, so not that big of a deal. Maybe next weekend I can wrap up this project!

The last thing I did was the hardest though. Since Eros and Shiny will be coming home at some point, it makes sense that Eros should go in Rio's old stall. So I finally took down Rio's plate and swapped it for Eros'. 

I hope Eros realizes how special he is to get this honor! 

Apparently I'm late to this party, but I saw yesterday that One K's MIPS helmet will be customizable! The color range is a touch limited (like no rose gold! Nor regular gold for that matter) but they WILL have hunter, so I'm pretty stoked. Not only that, they will be available in long oval. I cannot wait to get my grubby hands on one! CAN. NOT. WAIT. Bonus points if they add rose gold to the line up of options though...

So that's it from here. Did you get to enjoy the holiday weekend? Get anything productive done and/or some quality relaxation time?

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Truthful Tuesday

I spent the day off yesterday working on the trailer packing again. It should have gone very quickly, but apparently a family of rodents had at some point taken up residence in my show trunk. It was DISGUSTING! So much poop. I've never seen so much in one place. Fortunately, they only destroyed a pair of polos (of course it was the stupid expensive Eskadron climatex ones) and a pair of hind boots that I wasn't particularly attached to. They kindly left my leather boots alone. But you guys. My trunk will never be the same.
This gross photo is about 3/4 of the way through it getting emptied.
I'm very grateful the tenants had already moved out. But boy did they leave a mess. So disgusting. Everything that was washable went into the washer and everything that wasn't got scrubbed and bleached. I guess if nothing else, Covid prepared me with solid disinfecting skills?
This is after much scrubbing and bleaching. Obviously those stains are here to stay. I suppose I COULD stain it and they might blend in more. But I just went with something easier:
An extra baby pad as a liner! Tada! All better! At least visually.

I have a long list of stuff I need to replace in the trunk. Mostly items that were expired or no longer the consistency they should be... Some of those ointments and things were like 10 years old!

In other trailer news, I got the replacement keys this weekend and they fit! Woohoo! Bad news is that door wasn't actually locked, but is still very much stuck. Now that I know it's not locked I can be a little more aggressive I guess. Hey, at least I have keys now!

So those are my confessions today: I housed rodents for quite some time and still did not fix the trailer door.

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Thursday's Threads

Outfit Day! Now that I'm riding again and also working from home I have a riding outfit to share! But that's it... Cause I'm wearing my horse clothes to work now. I'll try and remember to take outfit photos on Mondays so we can have a work outfit and a horse outfit next time. Anyway, here's what I'm wearing today:
It's so great to have breeches on again. Seriously. And since I don't have photos, I'll let you know here. I'm wearing a pair of Regal boots to ride in because I have no issue spraying then with bleach when I'm done! And I've been wearing my One K wide brim with the rose gold accents.

Top: Dover
I picked this top up at the end of the season from Dover. They were half off I think. It's a little heavier than a sun shirt which is perfect for the weather here today which is high 60's.

Belt: Mane Jane
Went with the purple strap to match my shirt and the matte black buckle.

Breeches: SmartPak Pipers
These breeches are annoying because the first time I washed them the purple patches bled all over everything. Plus they're pipers. But I do like the color scheme. So there's that.

Socks: Dreamers and Schemers
Went with my Shiny socks today. How cute are these?!

Arm Party!
Lefty:
Lefty kept it simple today with my Loriece bracelet and apple watch.

Righty:
Righty kept it pretty calm today today too! I wore the purple band for my Fitbit and this super cute vintage bracelet.

And that's it for today! Any favorites? What are you wearing?

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

What's up Wednesday

Sooooo.... I went back to the barn last night. Officially! Pammon is on full training board this month, so I am having them continue with his tack walks for right now. I'll probably do him over the weekend though. But I DID ride Shiny!
She hasn't been in work since I stopped going to the barn (actually before that, I stopped riding before I stopped going) so it was a VERY light ride. We did maybe five minutes of trot each way, and otherwise just did a lot of walking. We started indoors and then walked a few laps of the outdoor. She was a little alert out there, but didn't do anything naughty. It felt great to be back in the tack. GREAT!
Eros and I took a walk outside too. And everyone had a nice curry. SO wonderful to spend time with them again.

So that's my big news for this past week! But I did some other things over the weekend too. Now that it's getting nice out, it's for sure getting to be iced coffee season. So I brewed myself a bunch of black coffee to keep in the fridge for the next few days. Plus, I made unicorn coffee cubes.
And most importantly I got these syrups from Ghirardelli to dress up my iced coffee.
Who needs Starbucks and Dunkin'? Not me! Ha!
I also made sure that both days this glorious weekend the pups and I took an hour to be outside and enjoy the sunshine. They only last an hour as they are very much house dogs. Pugs like their beds you know?
Artie's been working on his Blue Steel


And I finally got around to putting my gorgeous new browband on Shiny's side pull bridle:

It's so perfect! I really hope the horse size bridle arrives. I have the browband set and ready for it! Though honestly, I don't have a full sized horse that will going bitless any time soon. #rehabforever But still. It's nice to have everything organized and accounted for.
I got my quote this week for the ring and fence which will basically use all my horsey savings for awhile. But well worth it. I don't have a start date just yet, but hopefully soon. I spoke with the parentals and they agreed with my thoughts on taking Eros and Shiny home this summer. So once that fence and ring are repaired they can move here. Which will be amazing. It's been so weird having an empty barn. Especially when I walk in there and announce "Hi Guys!" out of habit and then remember there's no one there... Awkward.

So this weekend, I plan to finish moving stuff into the trailer. I also want to do some more in-barn organizing. I needed to figure out what was going in the trailer before I reorganized everything that lives in the barn/corn crib. I also need to move Pammon's stuff to the correct locker at the barn, and bring home some of the winter stuff to wash. So lots to do this weekend!

How are things with all of you? Getting your spring cleaning done? Have you been able to see your horses?

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Truthful Tuesday

If you are my Facebook friend, then you already know I've lost my trailer keys. The real confession is that I knew they weren't where they should be way back in November when I moved the horses. But since I didn't need them, I forgot to look for them. This past weekend the weather was AMAZING. Perfect for doing outside tasks like moving my show stuff back into the trailer. My tack room door is on the opposite side of my trailer than my barn is, so it would have been much more convenient to open the side ramp and walk stuff in that way. Problem was, the little door above the ramp was locked.
I spent several hours looking everywhere they could possibly have been. I've deduced that I must have either left them at the trailer dealer, or dropped them at the truck dealer when I traded the truck. Because they are definitely not at my house. Along with those keys, I'm also missing some keys for a trunk lock and a bike lock that I use for the tack room at away shows. So that's a bummer, but all things I can easily replace. So that's not so bad. Fortunately, the trunk lock that no longer has a key was not on the trunk!
The good news is, thanks to Hillary, I now know that there are only a handful of different locks for trailers. And there are websites where you can just order new keys. So $27 later, I have three new keys on their way to me. Fingers crossed they work.
I did still start moving things back in. I had ordered some new plastic tubs so my stuff is super tidy (and matchy). For blankets and coolers though, I have different tubs on order. Since those things are heavy I wanted wheeled tubs instead. They won't match the others, but that's okay. They just delivered a few minutes ago, so hopefully I'll get that completed this weekend. Then I just need to clean out the tack box and make a list of things that need replacing in there. I obviously don't need any of that any time soon. But it's nice to have a list and feel like it's organized.

I've basically packed it for Pammon, Shiny, and Eros. I don't have three of everything, but do of most things. And likely they wouldn't all three be showing anyway. Given that most of them are lame. Who knows which ones will ever actually show. But again. Good to be prepared! And most stuff I have anyway from my past horses. The only things I need still are a shipping halter for Shiny, some new locks (lol.), and I think I'm going to replace the buckets and feed tubs. They're all pretty beat up, and are all something like 14 years old. They got a lot of use back in the day. So time to replace. The list will grow when I get to the trunk though, I'm sure!
Anyway, today's confession is about the keys. Have any of you lost keys? Seems a pretty common occurrence.

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Thursday's Threads

Outfit day again! Where does the time go? Anyway, it's still chilly here, but tomorrow we could see 70, so there is a light at the end of this winter tunnel. Still sweater weather today though.
I went with foxes today. I really wasn't sure what I felt like wearing, so I just picked a bin (any bin) and had to wear what was in it. It was foxes!

Sweater: Modcloth
I haven't worn this in awhile because well... it had gotten a little snug. But my initial anxiety during this pandemic helped me drop 10 lbs, and it's fitting great now! I think that fox is adorable!

Belt: C4
Gotta love a cute foxy belt. C4 does a fun job with cute prints, and I think one is adorable.

Jeans: Lucky Brand
These actually look REALLY silly with socks... they're ankle length and definitely designed to be work barefoot with boat shoes or flip flops... but pandemic times allow for new rules. So here we are.

Socks: Old Navy
Aren't these adorable? They are a little too thick for wearing with most shoes. But since I'm not leaving the house today, they'll do just fine!

Accessories!
Ring: Betsey Johnson
This adorable ring has a matching necklace, but I didn't wear it today. Isn't he cute!

Arm Party!
Lefty:
Lefty is wearing another Betsey Johnson piece along with my trusty apple watch.

Righty:
Righty is donning the Fitbit, followed by an ADORABLE fox wrap bracelet from Tory Burch and a cute little leather and metal bracelet from Lilo. Funny though, I have that same fox bead in my craft supplies so I could re make this in another color one of these days. Perhaps a black one...

And that's it for now! Any favorites? What are you wearing today?