Thursday, March 23, 2023

Thursday's Threads

 

Outfit day again! And I was again a delinquent and forgot to take some photos. But we'll make do! I'm still wearing the black rhinestone Celeris and the Samshield so we'll skip those again. We'll start with my outfit since I have proper photos of that.

We're getting closer to time to move the ponies home. So that means the transition to lots of green outfits (and whatever else I cook up...). So this week I decided to wear both navy AND green. Perfect transition outfit! 

Top: Eqcouture
I've canceled nearly all subscription boxes I used to get. (Fear not, the pups still get their Barkbox.) But, I've kept Forelock and Fringe. I've kept if for a few reasons. 1. It's fantastic. 2. They stopped shipping to the US for awhile, but I was grandfathered in as an early subscriber. Because of number 2, I was afraid to stop it in case I could never get back in. But honestly, it's worth every penny and as long as I can find a way to afford it, I'm gonna keep it. All that preamble is because this fab base layer shirt came in one of my F&F boxes. 

Belt: Rebecca Ray
I had actually forgotten that I had this belt in navy. I wear the green on a fair amount, but this one had gotten buried under some other belts. I just rediscovered it the other day.

Breeches: Hadley by Smartpak
Guys, these are an exciting discovery if you prefer side zip breeches like I do! First, I have to mention that as much as I dislike how Piper breeches fit, the Hadley's are actually pretty great. They don't do the weird saggy crotch thing that pipers do. And the fit is just so much better. But I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the size zip version. They were on sale though, and I had a gift card, so I decided to give them a chance. And I'm really glad that I did! I do recommend these, and I really hope they make them in more colors moving forward. They have a few, but mostly the old standbys. I'm particularly glad the green color was on sale though! (Color most accurately portrayed in the shirt photo above.)

So that's what I had on. And here are some bits and pieces of what Al was wearing this week. (My forgotten photos were the equine ones. So sorry. I realize those are the best ones.)

Bridle: Joseph Sterling
Browband: Dark Jewel Designs
Handsome boy in a pretty bridle. I love how perfectly the Dark jewel browbands match the Joseph Sterling bridles. 

Saddle Pad: Anatomeq
Half Pad (Not pictured): Ippico
Saddle (Not pictured): Butet

I was waiting for Anatomeq to release some new colors and also for their anniversary sale to snag a couple of blue pads from them. I was pretty excited when they did a hunter and navy combo. Definitely more fun than just plain navy. I'm a big fan of these pads. They really keep the horses cool underneath them and they stay put pretty well too. 

Boots: Eskadron

Okay, well busted.... You all know how much I like the green version of this boot. So when I saw that this collection from a couple winters ago was on clearance everywhere, I decided to snag them in navy too. I mean, for $23 a pair, how could I pass that up? I had also tried to find the faux wool lined pads in navy too, but those were long sold out unfortunately. Probably for the best. My wallet keeps saying "stop buying shit!" Wallets are no fun. 

And that's it for today! Some fun new things! Any favorites?

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

What's up Wednesday

 

Shiny continues to feel great after her vet work a couple of weeks ago. So great in fact, that she needed a free lunge. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to have one until today. The indoor was getting pretty dusty so it had to be watered. But after getting watered it sometimes gets a little slippery so I didn't want to free lunge any of the horses until it dried out some. As a result, Shiny was SASSY for her Thursday lesson! There were some antics. Cute ones. But antics nonetheless. It's really great to have her feeling good though. I'll take the sillies that come with that. This week has been really nice so far, so she's been able to ride outside which she prefers. Back in tomorrow for our lesson though since we don't have jumps outdoors yet. 

Speaking of sassy... Eros was in a similar head space as Shiny for our lesson last week. He's feeling great after his vet visit, but also couldn't have a free lunge due to the footing. Our lesson last week was... Um... fast. Ha! Eros was in full torpedo mode. He makes me giggle though. He started out his usual lazy self. The first few cross rails that we trotted he didn't even jump over, just trotted them like a raised cavalletti. It wasn't until we tried to jump a little course that the turbo thrusters kicked on. He still does nothing truly bad. He just gets mildly out of control. He will finally have his free lunge tomorrow before our lesson. Thank goodness. Due to said wildness, I haven't ridden E outside yet. We'll start doing that after tomorrow weather permitting. 

Big news on the Al front! With the return of temps above 50, Al is turning back into the quiet horse that I remember purchasing. In our Friday lesson, we even managed to jump a full REAL course, using almost the entire ring. We had a little help from our lesson mates who stood in the scary corners when it was Al's turn to jump. But however we made it happen, I'm just relieved we finally did it. I know it's silly. I shouldn't be celebrating using (almost) the full arena. But after the entire winter of him being a mess down at the far end, I'm pretty excited. I tried to take him outside today, opting first to do a lunge out there. He started out really quiet and lovely on the lunge line. But after changing direction, something set him off and he kind of lost his mind. Like it was hard to get him stopped, and at one point I saw him thinking about jumping right out of the ring... He didn't, thankfully. But he certainly considered it! I think the biggest problem was that I had him out there by himself. So he just panicked a little. I decided to take him back inside to ride though. He's generally better outside than in, so I'm not too worried that he had a bad day today. We'll try again! I'm not positive when as there's a lot of rain in the forecast. But we'll get there. 

Cutest boys getting their pedis

That's about all we have to report from here this week. How are things going with all of you?


Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Truthful Tuesday

 

For today's confession, I'm just going to whine a little bit about the dentist. I feel like, in general, I mostly handle myself in a somewhat dignified manner. While I may not be winning at adulting completely, (who is though?) I feel like I generally have my shit somewhat together. But man. I struggle with going to the dentist. For awhile it wasn't so bad. I had a great dentist who took his time and was patient with me and things went fine. But then he retired. And I'm not sure how awful the new owners of the practice are but there is very high turnover there. So ever since my dentist retired, it's been a revolving door of dentists and hygienists. I've finally landed on a hygienist that I really like. She's kind and patient and does a great job with minimal gagging on my part. (Sorry, tmi, but seriously, the dentist is a struggle for me.) 

The current issue is the actual dentist. My last cleaning she was away at a conference so I didn't even have to see her. But this time she comes in and starts telling me about all these fillings I need. Then proceeds to stick all kinds of instruments and fingers all up in my face and, well, it was some kind of torture. Next she proceeds to talk down to me like I'm a five year old, repeating herself over and over. I finally looked her in the eye and said, "do you think I ought to find another dentist? Because you're speaking to me like I'm a child a right now." She was clearly taken aback and somewhat changed her tune, but sheesh. I very much do not want to go back there. Like, it's hard enough as it is, and now I also dislike her pretty strongly. 

Honestly, it's 2023, how has science not figured out a better solution for tooth care? Any of you a dentist? Or related to one? Please tell me they're working on better and easier mouth care practices for the future. 

Thursday, March 16, 2023

Thursday's Threads: St Patty's Edition

 

Little bit different format today because Eros and I actually modeled our St Patty's day outfit a bit ago for Pinsnickety to use for their marketing. So our photos are super high quality, thanks to Chelsea Lothrop Photography! All photos are by her and you can tell because they are amazing. 

Here's what Eros and I wore for our photo shoot:

I don't have individual photos of everything, so here you will see that I wore my One K helmet with gold rails and front shield and the green top piece. The breeches are Dover Wellesley. I don't think E had any boots on for these pictures. 

My sweatshirt came from Amazon and the pins are Pinsnickety of course! Socks are by Lettia as is the pad which you'll see again shortly. 

My boots are Tuffrider Regals that I painted with some glitter accents. Glitter leather paint is the best invention. 

Eros wore his Joseph Sterling bridle with the Boy O'Boy spiked browband. He also added a Pinsnickety pin to that giant meatloaf of a forelock braid. Because if you're going to do marketing for a fun company, you should do some fun things. 

Our saddle was still the loaner Butet back when we did this, so that's what he was wearing. Along with a Lettia baby pad and my mattes half pad. We are also sporting the horse shoe with clover pins from Pinsnickety. I kind of want to ride with a number every day just to use my pins... 

So that's our festive look for today. Any favorites? What do you think of Chelsea's photos? 

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

What's Up Wednesday

 

When we last left off, we were waiting to see how Shiny felt after her vet work last week. I'm happy to report that she's feeling a lot better. I didn't notice a huge difference immediately on the flat, but when we started jumping in our lesson Thursday, that's when she realized she felt so much better. She was back to her old self. Taking me to the jumps, jumping ACROSS the fences, and feeling generally like the pony I remember from last year. So that's a huge relief. She's feeling better each day on the flat too. She's also a little wild, but we have to wait a little bit longer before she gets to have a free lunge. So, um... wish me luck when we jump tomorrow... 

Speaking of our lesson last Thursday, it was able to happen because Jury Duty was canceled! Yay for that! I really wasn't excited to go. 

Eros had his vet work done last Wednesday which meant he had vacation days through Saturday, and a light flat on Sunday. Monday the barn is closed, so he didn't have real work until yesterday which was our flat lesson. He feels great, but he is also WILD. And also can't free lunge at the moment. I think tomorrow's jumping lesson for him will consist of only trotting cross rails so nobody dies. I mean, I'm glad he's feeling good. But maybe he could tone it down a touch. Eros is a gentleman, so even when he's fresh, he doesn't do anything terribly wrong. But he PULLS. My old trainer when I was growing up always said it takes two to pull. Which is a true statement. But if you attempt to not play the pulling game with Eros, he just winds up with his face on the ground and full possession of the reins. It's pretty hilarious honestly... But also, kinda naughty. I just love him and his antics though. 

Things are going pretty well with Al too. While mother nature continues to try and sabotage my lessons, we're working around that pretty well... I was hoping to finally jump the full course today, but the 30mph winds outside made today not the day. I still had my lesson, we just focused on the little jumps at the less noisy end of the ring. Maybe Friday will be the real day. Time will tell. I'm happy with him though. He's making an effort to pay attention to his rider, and that's definitely something for him. His flatwork is improving too. We had kind of paused with lateral work while his quarter crack was growing out and like any typical boy child he "forgot" how to properly do a shoulder in. But we've been plugging away at all things lateral and he's starting to really do thinks properly again. Proud of him!

That's really about all we've been up to here. I've been getting to ride an extra pony here and there which has been super fun. I know I'm totally spoiled and I get to ride three horses every day, but it's still so fun to me to get to sit on something else. Plus it kind of keeps you humble. When you ride the same horses all the time, they start to respond to you even if you're doing things wrong. So it's nice to hop on something else now and then to make sure I'm asking for things correctly. 

How are things with you guys? Have any fun adventures lately?

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Truthful Tuesday

 

I saw a meme making the rounds again that says something to the effect of "if someone is excited about something and you find a way to ruin that for them, you're a terrible human." That's not verbatim. I'm old. I can't remember exactly what it said. But anyway. I agree with that wholeheartedly. As a weird person myself, I LOVE when someone has a real passion for something. Even if it's something "odd". Finding something that brings you joy in this crazy world we live in is pretty special. Even if that thing is matching your outfit to your horse's saddle pad. Or sci-fi books. Or cosplay. Whatever. If you love it, and it isn't detrimental to others, DO IT! Let your freak flag fly! Or maybe your passion is pretty normal. Maybe you love running. Or making your own craft beer. Whatever it is, embrace it. Own it. Do it. 

Awhile back there was an article kind of shaming people who like their matchy matchy. That article pissed me off. Like how is it hurting anyone if you want to collect saddle pads? Okay, maybe in the long run if everyone on the planet did that we'd have an environmental issue. Fair. But like one person owning 15 pads? Who cares? Can you afford to support your saddle pad habit? If it's not negatively affecting your quality of life and finances, buy the effing saddle pad. 

Are you someone who judges people who are into matchy stuff? Do you poke fun at people who have weird passions? Do you make other people feel badly about something that brings them joy? If you are, maybe look inside and redirect that to something YOU can be passionate about it. Are you uncomfortable because you kind of like something that people might find weird? Embrace that weird! Own it! Do it! You'll find life is so much better when you're enjoying something for yourself rather than hating on someone else for having a little fun. 

Thursday, March 9, 2023

Thursday's Threads

 

Outfit day already! We're still rocking the navy over here, but we'll be switching it up soon since there IS a holiday coming up. In the meantime, let's look at what we're wearing here this week. I'll go first. 

I'm trying to invite spring to show up by adding some pastels... so far it's not working. Snow is in the forecast TWICE within the next week. Gross. 

Helmet and boots are still the Samshield and black Celeris samples. So we're still skipping over them. 

Sweater: Ralph Lauren
Shirt: Amazon
Guys, I've been going through my closets and found this sweater (from TJ Maxx) with tags still on it. I don't even remember when I got it, but until a couple of weeks ago, I hadn't been to a TJ Maxx since before lockdown. That's a long time to not wear a pretty sweater. How embarrassing. Also, that top I'm wearing underneath is from Amazon. It is an exact replica of the ones from TKEQ. But the Amazon version is $25 and the TKEQ range from $78-80. The teens at the barns have the expensive ones, and we've compared them carefully. Exactly the same. 

Belt: Mane Jane
I haven't worn this side of this belt in awhile, so figured now was a great time to bust it back out!

Breeches: Equiline
Way back at holiday time I placed an order for a few things from Old Mill Saddlery. One of my items was on back order, so I just recently received my stuff from them. And these breeches were in that shipment. I'm not one to spend $400 on pants, but I am always curious to try new things. And all the cool kids are wearing Equiline these days. This pair was on closeout for just around $100 which for nice breeches isn't unreasonable to me. So I gave them a shot. But I will tell you, I have a few other pairs of bargain Equilines and I think this pair is sized incorrectly. I wear a size 28 in TS breeches, though I can stuff myself into a 26 if it's worth it. (Ahem, my saddle color pair, coughcough). In normal Equiline that makes me smack in the middle between and I-42 and I-44. I have both sizes and I'd say the I-42 are closer to a 26 TS and the I-44 is like a very roomy 28, but not quite a 30. Anyway, for some reason, the website I bought these from had them sized in inches like TS are, so I chose size 28. When they arrived, the tag says I-46. I didn't think they would fit, but tried them on anyway. The waist is a hair big, but the rest of them fits great. I'm thinking maybe they were super cheap because the sizing is off on them? But I have no idea. Long story not so short, I like them, and am glad I don't have to return or sell them and also Equiline sizing is a little weird. 

Our equine model this week is Eros. He was getting seen by the vet for outfit day photos, so he's not wearing any boots this week. But he is wearing his demo saddle that is now officially his! So that's fun!

Bridle: Joseph Sterling
Browband: Dark Jewel Designs
Someone had zero interest in photos... this was the best of a million attempts. Peep that pretty dee bit though!

Saddle: Butet
Baby pad: Ogilvy
Half Pad: Mattes
This photo looks awkward, I had the saddle pad set back a little too far. I promise everything fits normally! It's interesting to me how different the color is on this saddle versus Al's when they are both supposed to be the same. Al's came pre oiled though, and I'm guessing this one wasn't. I've been conditioning it regularly, but just gave it a coat of oil last weekend. It did darken some after that, so we shall see if it ends up the same color as Al's eventually. Though even if not, this color looks lovely on Eros anyway. 

That's it for this week! Any favorites? 


Wednesday, March 8, 2023

What's Up Wednesday

 

Guys, I'm pooped! So this will be short and sweet today. All good things, fear not!

Al is doing just fine and we've had some good lessons over the last week. I had to postpone my usual Friday to Saturday because Shiny was having some vet work done and the times overlapped. But it was a fun Saturday lesson. We rode with a couple of the younger kids. Al was feeling brave that day (no wind blowing the scary doors!) and we managed to find our way far enough toward the end of the ring to actually jump a real line. So that was a big deal for us. We're still jumping tiny, but getting further around the ring so I'm happy and feel like we're progressing. It can be a little depressing considering we were jumping around 3'6" this summer and now we're not... But that's horses. Sometimes there are set backs, but we keep plugging along and eventually we get back to where we left off. Al is such a nice horse, and it will be worth riding this struggle bus for now. Hopefully anyway. 

Eros is also great! I switched him from the two ring to the dee bit, and he seems really happy in it. I can't get the same "sit" in it that I can with more leverage, so I plan to use the old bit here and there to keep his flatwork honest. But jumping in it was dreamy. I could actually take a half halt when I needed to and he accepted it without overreacting. My guess is that it might not be enough the first few times we jump outdoors, but hopefully that will be the only exception. Time will tell! He had his annual spring vet tune up today, so he'll miss his jumping lesson this week, but will be back at it for next time. Hopefully feeling amazing!

Shiny is feeling vastly improved. Doc was on the same page as I and agreed that it was time to do her neck, and also wanted to do the right stifle. Additionally she got some shockwave up by her poll. One of the things I really like about my vet is that he is interested to hear what my body worker says about the horses and lets some of her findings help guide which therapies we decided to try. He thinks the shockwave may help her next adjustment go better. We shall see! She had the weekend off and we've had a couple of fairly light flat rides this week so far. She's still kicking out when I ask for canter (doc believes that is in fact behavioral... Lol. Me too doc... me too) but her canter is so much more balanced and she's not tripping nearly as much as she had been. We're going to have a jump lesson tomorrow so we'll see what we have! I'm glad she's feeling better though. I probably should have addressed some of this sooner. It's tough to tell with her sometimes when she's hurting and when she's just being a sassy pony. Mares are tricky!

In other news, after a three year hiatus, I got to attend a really fun chili cook off hosted by a friend and her husband. They take it pretty seriously... like seriously fun anyway! The winner gets a trophy:


And us taster/voters get an I voted sticker which is pretty fab. I let Rita wear it when I got home:


And that's really all I've got for this week. How are you all? How are the horses?


Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Truthful Tuesday

 

Okay, well first off I have to admit to something... I like eating Peeps. Yep, those sugar coated marshmallow treats. Some people say they're gross. I think they're delicious. But that's not really my confession. My confession is that I actually have a preferred peep shape. I much rather the little chicks than the bunnies. And like, not just for eating. Peeps stuffy toy? Gotta be the chick, don't want that bunny. But what's really odd about this is that if we're talking actual animals, my preferences are the opposite. I'd much rather hang out with a bunny than a chicken. Odd. 

What about you? Do you have a Peeps preference, or just like anti peeps entirely?

Thursday, March 2, 2023

Thursday's Threads

 

Outfit day again! More navy. We're on that train right now. Al is our model today since I couldn't wait to show off my new saddle again. So here's what he had on.

Bridle: Joseph Sterling
Browband: Dark Jewel Designs


He's the cutest pesty kid I know. Look at those innocent eyes, just waiting for me to get on so he can spook at nothing for 40 minutes... Kidding! He's been a good boy. He only spooks for part of the ride. Usually.

Boots: Premier Equine
This is the horse size version of the boots Shiny wore last week. I really am a fan.

Saddle: Butet
Saddle Pad: Ogilvy
Half Pad: Ippico
Look how pretty! I'm very much loving the new saddle, despite the whole having to break it in part. It is pretty stiff as new saddles are, but it's still grippy and already comfortable. I can't wait for it to soften up though!

And here's what I had on:
I'm still wearing the Samshield and black rhinestone Celeris, so we're skipping those again.

Sweater: PS of Sweden
I don't know how I keep messing up the colors on my sweaters... But the real color is more accurately portrayed in the full outfit photo above. I like these sweaters a lot, I wish they'd bring them back in new colors.

Belt: HV Polo
I like the little bit and stirrup details on this belt. And the buckle is cute too!

Breeches: Ariat
I'm in that phase where my brand new saddle has a lot of oil on it, so I'm not wearing my favorite breeches for a bit. So I went with this old standby. Comfy. Nice looking. But older and not the most exciting color. 

And that's it for this week! Any favorites?

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

What's Up Wednesday

 

This time of year just feels kind of stagnant around here in the northeast. We're just kind of plugging along waiting for the nice weather to return. It's been a mild winter so we really can't complain, but still, the gray days are getting old that's for sure! And we actually got SNOW yesterday which I've already whined about. You know what accumulating snow brings? That is correct, it brings the dreaded snow coming off the roof adventure in the indoor. Oddly (and thankfully!) today there wasn't any crashing. It seemed like the snow was just melting away up there and dripping off in the form of water. Which is very baffling. But much appreciated. I thought for sure the place would be crashing away since I had a lesson on Al today. I mean, we've had the tsunami, then the earthquake, an avalanche seemed to fitting to follow. I'm so grateful it didn't! Though in true the universe has a dark sense of humor fashion, there was a small snow drop while I was on Shiny that she felt the need to run away from. Since it was Shiny, it lasted about 1/4 of the long side and just caused some giggles. She's just not very intimidating. (Unless you're a horse, she will kick the crap out of you if that's the case.)

Despite all that, things are just fine around here! I've been lessoning twice weekly with Al, and each one brings slightly less angst despite all the universal challenges coming our way. Though we still have not ventured to the very end of the ring... Baby steps my friends. Today we jumped a little course, complete with a three stride line, and I only almost died once. So that's pretty good! And my response to the near death experience was to dig in and ride better, so I think we're actually getting somewhere. And by we, I mean me and my ridiculous fears. You're probably wondering what went wrong... It wasn't really much of anything really. The jumps have stayed small like 2'3" ish? Maybe 2'6"? Not sure. The height is of zero consequence with Al, our struggles are solely about things unrelated to the jumps themselves. But in this instance, I was glad the jump was small! So I was jumping a little vertical on the diagonal off the right lead. I was jumping away from the lounge area, heading toward the dreaded end of the ring. But the fence was set so I was really only about two thirds of the way up the ring upon landing. No where near the "scary end" really. But for some reason, on the way to the jump, Al had is eye on something to the left. And just as we left the ground to jump the fence, he shifted HARD to the right, like to the point that I thought he was just going to launch himself through the standard. I have no idea how we didn't demolish that standard. My instructor thought I was going to hook my foot on it, we were that close, but I scrunched my leg up and closed it around him as hard as I could and somehow just brushed the standard. It was kind of horrifying from my viewpoint. But we didn't die. I went back and tried again, and though he was still kind of a turd about whatever he was seeing on the left, he jumped the center that time without any real antics. The rest of the course rode nicely, and I'm looking forward to Friday when we can try again. I'm feeling optimistic that things are going to be fine. 

In other exciting Al news, his saddle finally came!

It is so pretty. And I love it. Al seems to love it too so far. We're only two rides in, and being that I've never had a saddle that actually fits him, I don't think he's especially picky. It kept me safe during our near death experience today, so I'm thinking it's pretty great. I also decided to purchase the demo that Eros has been using. I asked the rep if she would do anything differently if we ordered a custom one for him, and she said no, it's as good of a fit as we can get for him due to his difficult shape. (Noted above but also with giant withers.) The chiropractor was happy with his back last time she was out, so he's comfortable in it. He had been using it for several weeks already at that point, so any problems would have shown themselves by then. I could save almost $1000 versus ordering a new one, and it's already in my possession. A new one would take 16 weeks. So I figured it was a no brainer. And with that, I am hopefully done with saddles for a very long time. Though I do believe I've said that before... Famous last words. 

Speaking of Eros... I have switched him from his two ring leather bit to a D ring with the same mouth. So far so good with the flatwork, but we'll see what happens tomorrow when we jump. He's just been getting a little upset with the two ring on the occasion that I have to actually touch the reins. So while I may have to pull a little harder with the D, I think he'll be happier with it. Or I'll get very run away with. We shall see tomorrow! He's been pretty perfect otherwise though. Vet comes Friday just to check in and see if he's due for any maintenance. Figured we should do as much vet stuff as we might need while at the boarding barn because it's harder to get him out to my place. And now that it's March, we're getting closer to time to bring to them home!

Things are about the same with Shiny. She's doing fine, but I think she'll be much better after her vet visit Friday. Hopefully anyway. It's been a year since we last did her neck. She has some impingement of the spine in there, and I think she's due to have that worked on. She's tripping a fair amount which is indicator 1, and indicator 2 is that she just can't seem to unlock the left side. As I've mentioned, I've been taking her lessons jump by jump depending on how she feels. And last week she was super into jumping and was great. We didn't do a ton, but enough to keep her happy and for us both to have some fun. We'll see what she thinks tomorrow. 

That's about it from here. How's things with all of you guys?


Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Truthful Tuesday

 

Well guys, fake spring is over and it's winter finally. I knew this would happen, but I can't say I'm not disappointed.

Fortunately, down here near the shoreline I just have a few inches of snow. Further north they're getting around a foot. Gross. Let's hope the truck starts... or the snow plow guy gets here soon. And yes, the pool is still uncovered, but the guy did come and blow the lines at least. Definitely looking for a new pool person for summer.

Anyway, that's not my confession. Just my complaint. My confession is that I managed to chip three dishes yesterday whilst unloading the dishwasher.

You may wonder how that could possibly happen. Surely I did not drop three dishes. You'd be correct. I dropped one dish, the bowl, on to the other two. Little ceramic chunks flew everywhere! Oops. Fortunately, I purchased this set of dishes when I bought my house in 2006 from Walmart. I probably spent $50 on the whole set. So it's not like they owe me anything. And honestly, they're just chipped. Still functional! But maybe if I entertain I won't use these particular pieces... 

So that's today's confession. Anyone else this shit at domestic duties? I'm sure I'm not the only one! Though clearly, I should be better supervised.


Thursday, February 23, 2023

Thursday's Threads

 

Outfit Day! We went back to navy this week. Time to switch things up again! But like... not too much so I'm still wearing the same helmet and boots. I'm gonna skip those photos this week cause you know what they are by now. Shiny is our model today, so let's start with what she had on!

Bridle: Camelot RCS Gold
Browband: Boy O'Boy Bridleworks

She's the cutest. It doesn't matter which bridle she wears, cuteness abounds regardless.

Saddle: Custom Saddlery
Saddle Pad: Mattes
I showed you guys the green version of this pad a couple of weeks ago. Well... Um... yeah, I also got them in navy. What can I say? Hufglocken had a 30% coupon and you all know how I have a problem when it comes to a good deal. So here we are. 

Boots: Premier Equine
I really just wish PEI would make these in hunter green. They fit all the horses great, they are lightweight, and pretty breathable. Alas... so far they only come in blue, black, or white. I'd even settle for a brown pair... In case anyone over at PEI is reading... (Which I doubt, but hey, you never know!)

That's what Shine had on, and here's what I wore:

Pay attention to the colors of my clothing in this photo as they are most accurate here... The close ups not as much. Cameras are weird.

Sweater: Luiza Vera
I have a bunch of these merino sweaters that are pretty inexpensive on Amazon. This is the navy, even though it looks gray here. This one fits a little weird though. I think it may be a size bigger than the others. Not sure, as it was a gift and for some reason does not have a size tag. Regardless, they are the best barn sweaters around. Machine washable and inexpensive.

Belt: Pampeono
This is kind of the unofficial barn belt for the winter barn. It's in the barn's colors as a stock colorway, so that's super fun, and even more fun, I found it for a really great price from a website in Europe. Love me a good deal AND a pretty belt. I have a similar one in my own colors, but it is currently in a very safe place... meaning I can't find it. I know where it is, but it seems to be buried pretty deep. 

Breeches: RJ Classics
These look REALLY blue here, but in real life I can't decide if they are blue or gray. Depends on the light. Though I guess if they're photographing this blue, then they are probably blue. The color is called Fog, and I snagged them for a crazy deal from Riding Warehouse's clearance section. 

Socks: Dreamers and Schemers
These brought the nostalgia hard for me. They're scratch and sniff stickers! I'm not sure if you young ones had these growing up, but when I was a kid, these were the coolest stickers you could get. You scratched them and they released a scent. I mostly remember fruit ones, but there was also a popcorn. Probably other stuff too. But I'm really old and it was long ago. 

And that's it for this week! Any favorites?