Saturdays at the Barn - Barbour, Horses, and a Sweet Little Corgi Puppy

Saturdays at the Barn - Barbour, Horses, and a Sweet Little Corgi Puppy

uyguguygu   08.28   Comment  

I've been lucky enough to double the amount of riding I've been doing this month. This means I get to spend much of my Saturday morning at the barn with all the various people who make up that precious community, the horses, and the occasional guest star, like my trainer's 9 week old corgi puppy who thought walking across the piled cavaletti was the most amazing thing he had ever experienced!

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Dressing for the barn means function and form - while this barn doesn't have a dress code or serious expectations about what we wear I still feel it's important to both look nice and make sure my clothes stand up to the beating they get when I'm there and help me be a more effective rider. With one horse I wear gloves, with another I don't because of how I want the reins to feel. I dress in layers and wear protective clothing like a helmet and halfchaps. Today I'm wearing Ariat Paddock Boots, Tuffrider Breeches (like always...), Dublin Halfchaps, a very old sweater from the GAP, my trusty Barbour Beadnell, and Betsy Johnson sunglasses.

I am also wearing two of my vintage turquoise bracelets we've picked up on various trips and a wonderful leather one with an equestrian theme from Wild Horse Feathers. I've taken to wearing it almost every day and have gotten a lot of great compliments and comments on it, both around and at the barn. 

Red Barns in the Snow

Red Barns in the Snow

uyguguygu   06.00   Comment  

About five or so years ago I asked my friend A how she figured out how things went together. She was the most put together person I knew. Well, actually, she still is. I was struggling, in my early 20's to figure out how to dress, act, put my house together.  I didn't have a heritage of style like some people do. I hadn't been taught to put things together. My parents endowed many other fantastic things to me - how to manage my finances and how to be kind and smart and relentless - but not style. Growing up was one big battle between my mom's aesthetic and my dads and there was never a compromise so it was just a tangle of objects that various people liked. We also were told almost every single day that we were going to be moving because my parents were going to sell the house. This meant that we could never settle in and invest in the way things looked. 

 To top it off, at the time A and I had this conversation, I was newly married and couldn't get my style to mesh with my husbands and I felt like my tiny house, my clothes, even my haircut was a disaster. I was trying to figure out how to meet his style expectations without compromising my own as well. 

"Well," she told me. "I just look at everything. I look and I look and I look and I look."

That was it. That was the missing piece to the puzzle. So, the very next day I began to do exactly what she told me. As I went through life I tried to notice what caught my eye, what made me excited about things, what was I drawn to. Over the course of the last half decade I feel like I've really been able to narrow down the things that make me happy, and to also reserve a little hidden place for the things that make me happy but don't usually mesh well with the other things. The advice A gave me was super simple but it's completely changed the way I look at things. I wait for things to resonate in a very specific way before I go for them. I acquire things more slowly now. My decision making takes longer. But life is quieter because the cohesion helps to calm things down, both visually and mentally. 

These red barns, dotted around the countryside near my parents house, resonated with me in that specific way. The blankets of sparkling snow surrounded these weathered red structures made me catch my breath and as we drove northward I watched them pass, delighted in the tradition and character that defines that part of the midwest.  

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I'm wearing a blazer by Ann Taylor (Similar here in black). The shirt is an old Ariat western riding shirt. (Similar cut and features here with a different plaid.) The Jeans are Madewell's Skinny Skinny.  The boots are from Frye and the sunglasses are from Betsy Johnson. 

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...

uyguguygu   14.19   Comment  

We went back to the midwest this year, to my parents house. My parents moved this year and this is the first time I've actually stayed at the new house. We had to use google maps to find it which was a strange and unfamiliar feeling.

They are now out in the countryside and I love the place they moved  - there are three tack shops within a ten mile radius, a lake, a pool in the backyard, and enough room for everyone, and I mean everyone, to stay here without having to crowd in. My entire family and significant others plus my in laws are here, too!

A midwestern Christmas is always cozy - we see the the family members from my mom's side of the family on Christmas Eve and the cousins do a silly white elephant gift exchange. Then, on Christmas morning we all exchange and open presents and then tinker the rest of the day with all the new stuff. Our day also included a walk around the neighborhood in the new snow, and a giant dinner with everyone!

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It's beautiful here! The vest is from Land's End.  The button down and jeans are from Madewell. I'm wearing my mom's sorrel boots. The scarf in my hair is vintage. 

Merry and Bright

Merry and Bright

uyguguygu   16.12   Comment  

Advent is in full swing around here: we've been playing lots of Christmas music, we've participated in more holiday events than we can count, and the house is all done up with twinkling lights.

This year decorations are simple and subtle. We wanted it to look clean and fresh but still cozy so we went with the decision to play with lighting instead of objects. We filled my glass cake platter with a short string of lights in front of our chalkboard and tack board filled with cards we have received. We also stacked up all the old windows we have behind our Christmas tree, backlit them with extra lights. The effect is so pretty with the windows that we might just leave them up all year, even after the tree comes down.

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Finally, if you're reading this on an aggregator you might be pleased to know that I re-did the headings and sidebar on the blog. It was pretty overdue and I just wanted something really clean, simple, and fresh. The fonts I used are minion and Optimus Princeps. Someone informed me on Facebook that Optimus Princeps may or may not be the font used for Kinfolk Magazine's title. I think it's pretty interesting that I went for it. It must be in my subconscious or something... sorry, Kinfolk! 

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I'm wearing a very, very old sweater from The Gap. Underneath it I'm wearing a striped shirt by Pleione. The jeans are by Madewell and the boots are from Frye. The shirt and sweater are so old I can't find links to them anymore. 

Of Rights and Responsibilities

Of Rights and Responsibilities

uyguguygu   15.47   Comment  

I've been thinking a lot, particularly as I drive, about the etymology of the word stewardship. I have been mulling over the history of the word as well as what it means to be a steward in this day and age.

My older etiquette books (cira 1840's) refer to a steward as the head caretaker of an estate. They had the right and responsibility to manage it, and do it well. A steward was involved in all matters of the estate, from accounting for possessions to making sure the land was managed well and was productive. A steward was one of the most important hires a family could make, and to have a good steward was to have a successfully run estate. 

As time moved forward to train, then ship, then air travel the word steward began to refer to someone who was responsible for you, the traveler. They would take care of your baggage, your cabin, and attend to your needs. 

Today we no longer have stewards and stewardesses out and about. We refer to the helpful (and sometimes cranky...but mostly helpful!) people on airplanes as flight attendants. I haven't traveled long distances by large boat, though, and there may be a person aboard who is a steward. 

Bearing that in mind - I am my own steward. I hold stewardship over all of the the experiences, things, and people I have the fortune or misfortune to come to know. I hold the responsibility for how well my limited estate runs. 

I don't believe that you ever truly own anything. Everything is simply on loan to you - it has been given with the intent that you may use it to serve your purpose but you must take care of it, demonstrate your stewardship of what you have. I feel as if I can take care of what I'm given now - from my career to my relationships to the objects in my house - I will be better prepared to handle the large things later. 

Here are some small ways I show stewardship:

- I buy the best quality I can afford and maintain it -  I save to buy one pair of leather boots I can wear for years instead of four pairs of plastic ones I can wear for three months, I  mend any repairs needed in clothing once every few weeks, wash it carefully and properly, quickly wipe down appliances when I'm done using them, rinse out my makeup brushes once a week, keep the inside and outside of my car clean.

- I keep in touch with the people who I value, regardless of what gain they bring to my life - I write letters, call, text, send out a semi-monthly family newsletter, meet for coffee

- I stay on top of my finances - My income is limited as a teacher but I know how to shuffle the money I do make into the places that count - Savings (both long term and for things I want in the near future) first, paying down student loans second, bills third, and everything else last. 

- I focus on the long term - This is a tough one. I, like anyone else, enjoy a bit of instant gratification. If I see it, I want to buy it right away. I want things now - a better paying job, a sailboat, a nicer car, travel, moving abroad. I know, however, that life doesn't work that way for most people. You have to build your life, build your estate, manage it well, work hard at it, and things will happen. A few people get lucky and things just happen - the rest of us, though? We have to build it ourselves. It's not a bad thing, though. It teaches perseverance. 

How do you show stewardship in your life?

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Scarf: Unknown (similar here)

Earrings: Unknown (similar here)

Jacket: Barbour

Shirt: Urban Outfitters (can't find a comparable shirt, sorry!)

Skirt: Self Made

Boots: Frye 

Ten things for 2013

Ten things for 2013

uyguguygu   15.22   Comment  

Here are ten things that are making my life lovelier this year. They are small things, nothing fancy, just little things I've loved having around in my life this January. 

1. Workbasket

Inspired by the idea of 18th and 19th century women's workbaskets I decided to corral many of my personal projects and things to do into a basket to be taken out in the evenings and worked on a little at a time. 

2. 2013 memory jar

I found this clever idea on Pinterest. I'm looking forward to opening it up on January first of next year and looking over all the wonderful things we did in 2013.

3. A stack of new and old favorites to read

I received a lot of books over the holidays and I've been utilizing paperback swap - there are lots of books to read around here and I've been curling up with them in the evenings. 

4. My planner

I purchased this last summer but it's still going strong, looks beautiful, and keeps me organized. I know exactly when everything is happening, I can jot down ideas in the blank pages and the book club book of the month on the top of each monthly calendar. There's even a spot for two lines of daily gratitude. I like to use Washi tape to block out larger projects, workflow, or time off. 

5. Our new couch

Finally, the wait is over. We have somewhere to sit!

6. Grey suede booties

I bought these in November in anticipation of holiday parties but they have turned out to be incredibly comfortable so I've been wearing them to work a lot. It's hard to find shoes that match my school's incredibly strict dress code, look nice, and don't make you want to soak your feet in a tub of ice after chasing twenty-six 8 year olds!

7. Letters to and from

I'm a dedicated letter writer and I look forward sending and receiving more of these dear missives from dear friends. 

8. French press

We've been long contemplating switching from our regular drip coffee maker to a French press coffee maker. We've been holding back because said drip coffee maker works perfectly fine. We received this French press coffee maker as a gift so there's no reason not to switch now!

9. Reorganized desk/workspace

The couch prompted a reorganization of our living space. I decided to move the desk behind the couch so I could look out the window as I worked, I cleared off a lot of random things that we really were not using, and I found some pretty things to hold supplies, pens, and stationary. We used the couch to split our living room into two distinct spaces: one for working and one for relaxing. It's been really great to have a better flow in our main living space. 

10. New Workout Clothes

January has been a bit of a wash for working out. I had a week in between bronchitis and an injury that's waylaid me to get my workout on but I know as soon as I'm cleared to head back to the gym I have some super cute clothes to wear while doing it! 

Denver Prep

Denver Prep

uyguguygu   14.39   Comment  

This is one of my favorite go-to looks - denim, tweed, and leather. Those materials are enduring in the world of fashion and when put together they work perfectly. Thank you to my Mom for the Tweed and velvet riding jacket. She gave it to me when I was 16 - she wore it when she was in college and I've been wearing it steadily since then. It's a sturdy piece of clothing and always timeless! 

All of these gorgeous pictures were taken by the amazing Jessica Triggs. Thank you so much, Jessica! You guys might remember she did my all time favorite photo shoot of the vintage ball gown. 

Sunglasses: Pilgrim

Pearls: Vintage

Jacket: Vintage (actually was my moms!)

Shirt: Gap

Skirt: Gap

Tights: Unknown

Socks: Target

Boots: Frye