Saturday Horse Shows

Saturday Horse Shows

uyguguygu   08.54   Comment  

The barn I ride at has casual horse shows  (or schooling shows...) - they are small, involve both English and Western Classes, and seem more like a family riding and goofing off together than something where we have to go all out and all crazy to be the very best. It's not that we don't try...it's just that we don't stress while we're trying!

A few Saturdays ago I had the opportunity to show in one. I showed up alone and was immediately adopted by a mom who's elementary aged son was riding in it, too! (It's hard to show horses on your own...having an "assistant" is completely necessary to get you through the day!) This is just more proof of how calm and laid back these shows are - you can just walk in and you have a crew of people who can jump in and get you where you need to be! My amazing trainer also helped out and ran the show at the same time - she's so talented!

The show went well and I got second place. Thomas Dole of MaxMX Photography was there documenting the whole event and was able to grab a few pictures of me while I was there. Thank you!

***

Photo credit to Thomas Dole. You can check out more pictures of the show here or follow him on twitter here. Thanks again!

Twenty Nine!

Twenty Nine!

uyguguygu   21.02   Comment  

I turned twenty-nine at the beginning of this month. I always like birthdays - to me they are similar to New Years. You can make resolutions, change things around, start projects, finish up chapters in your life, and really just enjoy the possibility of a new year of you! 

This is my last year of my twenties. I have been hugely grateful for the things that I've gotten to do this decade. I've done some traveling (would love to do more!) picked up and excelled in some intensive hobbies (classical ballet until the age of 22, cycling starting around the age of 22, and I started horseback riding around my 28th birthday), married the man of my dreams, learned how to dress myself well and look collected, moved to a few different cities. I haven't had the wild ride I expected when I was in my teens but I see every day that I have a good life.

My life is so wonderful, in fact, that I say that to myself all the time. It's not reminder, it's recognition. I notice it when I've just gone grocery shopping and I'm eating from a giant jar of Kimchi, when I've just cantered on Meethie, when I am on the couch next to my husband watching silly TV shows, an especially when I see my friends and feel how much they love me.

Because it's the last year of my twenties I decided I wanted to do a few things this year. Well... nineteen to be exact. This project was inspired by the Thirty Before Thirty projects that so many blogs did...but to be honest... I could only think of one less than twenty things I wanted to do.

So, in no particular order...here they are!

1. Spend a day lounging by a pool

2. Compete in a horse show

3. Learn to take great care of my skin

4. Finish four books

5. Go to a spa for a day 

6. Leave the country

7. Throw a dinner party to honor someone or something 

8. Audition for ten things

9. Feature four other bloggers 

10. Write a 20,000 word story

11. Write a thank you note to the ten most important people in my life

12. Do a makeup step by step tutorial for the blog

13. Surprise my husband with a weekend get-away

14. Catch up with our yearly photo albums

15. Sew a dressage coat

16. Get a motorcycle license endorsement 

17. Memorize a Hip-Hop routine

18. Take a class to learn something new 

19. Fix something on the car

This list might fluctuate. It might change. It may get added to or subtracted from, but the heart is the same: tie up some loose ends, try some new things, keep going where I am content, make every day a celebration of life! 

You Should Know: Living Gluten Free: Recipe - Sweet Potato Medallions with Micro Greens, Feta, and Balsamic Glaze

You Should Know: Living Gluten Free: Recipe - Sweet Potato Medallions with Micro Greens, Feta, and Balsamic Glaze

uyguguygu   15.01   Comment  

(Note: This is part two in a gluten free living series! You can see part one here.)

Earlier this month I posted my top five tips for living gluten free. A few weekends ago my friend Stephanie, who blogs over at Sustaining the Powers, and I partnered (well...she cooked...I watched and took photographs and drizzled Balsamic Glaze over the final product!) to work on a very simple gluten free recipe. One of the great things about this recipe is that it is made entirely with foods that are already gluten free. You don't even have to think about replace this or that with expensive or hard to find ingredients.

These sweet potato medallions can be served as a side, main, or appetizer and take very little time to make and prep. The plate up beautifully and can be grabbed one at a time.

Stephanie is a fantastic cook and an amazing multi-tasker. She's also exceptionally skilled at working around dietary needs. Here's an example: one random Wednesdays night, I watched her make seven meals for seven people with different dietary needs on a whim simply because they were hungry. It wasn't even a dinner party! We just showed up and she fed us all. She used basic ingredients in her kitchen and had them all out, plated beautifully and deliciously. I'm still in awe of that skill and she's definitely one of my cooking and hosting inspirations and thrilled that she was willing to partner with me to bring a Gluten-Free Recipe to you!

Sweet Potato Medallions with Goat Cheese, Pecans, Microgreens and a Balsamic Vinegar Glaze

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup goat cheese
• Balsamic vinegar glaze or reduction
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• ½ cup microgreens (grow your own or find them near the sprouts and lettuce in the veggie section of your grocery)
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450. 
2. Spread 2-3 tbsp of olive oil on a jelly roll pan. 
3. Scrub sweet potatoes, but do not peel.  
4. Slice sweet potatoes crosswise in 1/2 inch thick medallions and place on oiled pan. 
5. Flip once so both sides get oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
6. Bake for 15 min. 
7. Turn over using tongs and bake for another 10 minutes, or until both sides of the potato are blistered and the center is soft. 
8. Top each medallion with crumbles of goat cheese, pecans, microgreens, and a light drizzle of balsamic reduction or glaze.

Modern/Vintage

Modern/Vintage

uyguguygu   05.00   Comment  

I have an extensive closet - I don't think this is any secret. I only rarely get rid of things and I hang onto my clothes for years...decades, even. My style roots are in vintage and I used to wear almost exclusively vintage or vintage style clothing. (Oh my goodness! I was able to make every single word in that sentence a link to a different post featuring vintage clothing and I only looked through half the blog! wow!) Dresses, petticoats, house coats, vintage inspired shoes and jewelry reigned for years. I started wearing vintage in middle school and wore it throughout my early and mid twenties and I've collected a large amount of clothing from various eras ranging from the 1850s to the present. As I've gotten older my taste has evolved and I'm not wearing as much vintage. This is partly because I've taken a more preservationist stance on my originals, but also because my tastes of changed and what is practical and useful for me is different now than what it used to be.

Recently I was standing in my closet thumbing through my suits and blazers and I realized that I had a lot of pieces that just never make it out into daylight that are perfectly sturdy and wearable. I think this is a conundrum for many of us who have left our vintage phase. We can't really part with these one of a kind pieces but we don't really want to wear them, either. My initial solution was Acid Free Boxes but even that couldn't store everything, only the oldest and most fragile or most valuable.

I realized that, given a little thought, it'd be perfectly fine to mix some of my very vintage pieces into my daily wear. So, I did what any other person with too many clothes and not enough ideas did: I played dress up. I pulled out a dozen or so sturdy pieces of vintage clothing out and started trying them on over what I had worn to work that day to see how they would mix and match. Suits got separated, dresses got modern blazers over the top to liven them up, handbags were turned into clutches by turning the handles inside, skirts were given modern shoes and at the end of it all I had a few ideas. 

For date night this week I decided to pull out a vintage clutch from the 1960's and the top of a suit from the mid 1940's that I bought in high school. Both of them are sturdy (the clutch actually was deadstock and had tags on it!) and I wasn't worried about potentially damaging something irreplacable. I paired this uniquely structured blazer with a basic t-shirt, Madewell skinny skinny jeans, and a pair of updated patent pumps from L.K. Bennett. I matched the red clutch to a red bracelet my friend had brought me from Spain and  off we went! 

Do any of you have this type of vintage conundrum? How are you handling it?

***

I'm wearing a vintage blazer and carrying a vintage clutch. The bracelet is a small gift ("Petite Cadeau" - My foreign language phrase of the day!) from a friend's trip to Spain. The Pearls are also vintage. The t-shirt is from Caslon (similar cut here - can't find the same color!). The jeans are Madewell's Skinny Skinny cut. The shoes are from L.K. Bennett.

Amber Waves

Amber Waves

uyguguygu   05.00   Comment  

The prairie hasn't woken up yet. It's still dry, despite our spring thunderstorms, but the snow cover is gone. We only get a few days of green here, at least for the spaces left on their own to grow and thrive, and we have to wait for them to come through the long summer, autumn, and winter. Usually I have a hard time dealing with the dust and the drab colors but sometimes you drive past an expanse rolling in the wind like waves on the ocean and you catch your breath, startled by the beauty of it all. The gold of the fields amplify the blue of the sky.

Also, there's a kind of vastness, that's another thing I won't soon forget. Even on the edge of the city there are fields and views where you can see for miles and miles, all the way up to the foothills and to the fourteen thousand foot mountains beyond, still blowing with their snow and covered in blue and purple.

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I'm wearing a Lacost polo shirt (similar here) and a skirt from Target. The shoes are from j.crew. 

Easter Tidings...a bit late!

Easter Tidings...a bit late!

uyguguygu   19.20   Comment  

My Easter Greetings are a little late, as I haven't had much time to sit down and blog this week! I've been meaning to post picture from our friend's Easter celebration since Monday and I'm finally getting a chance to do it! We had a great lunch with egg dying, food photography, and lots of laughter.

I hope that your Easter was great, too.

And, yes, He is risen indeed. What a wonderful thing!

Sick Day

Sick Day

uyguguygu   10.25   Comment  

On Friday when I left work I was all set up to take this work-week by storm. I was going to get my "to-grade" box cleared out, finish up some required testing for a group of students, teach outstanding lessons, have by objectives up, finish a power point for the school, and do all of the little bits and pieces that make up the mammoth job of being a teacher.

And then I got sick. Aching, shivering, crawling into bed, no appetite, feverish sick. I had no choice... I had to get a substitute teacher.

As a teacher, it's very difficult to take a day off from work unexpectedly. You still have a classroom full of kiddos showing up the day you're out, an adult coming in that needs to pick up where you left off, and the guilt that maybe they're losing a day of instruction if your sub plans are not clear enough! I've had a last minute sub now for two days in a row because I got really, really sick. It's generally easier for me to just go in with a head cold or a touch of the flu than arrange for a sub but I rarely get sick any more - I've been teaching long enough that I really only get the very worst. That being stated, my personal rule is that if I have a fever I don't go in. I simply cannot manage the class while trying to manage my own health and well being.

Like many people, teachers in particular, I have a hard time sitting still. I hate sitting on the couch with an unfinished sewing project on my dining room table, a still full "to-grade" box at work, a bunch of kids who haven't been tested yet, and all sorts of other projects to work on that take too much brain power for me right now. You have to let yourself rest, though, if you can. And right now I have the privilege of being able to do that.

Here's what I've been up to (along with trying to to feel bad about not being at work...):

Watching Netflix on the Couch - I've been slightly obsessed with this Korean Drama called Boys Over Flowers. It's deliciously silly! I've also been watching re-runs of the Big Bang Theory. I contemplated starting Game of Thrones but I'm afraid that's a vortex I'll never get out of if I start.

Painting my Nails - When my husband came home yesterday he had brought Soup and Nail polish for me yesterday (he knows me well...). The color he picked was Ladylike by Essie. I don't usually sit still this long so it was a good time for me to paint my nails.

Catching up on Letters - I write several friends letters every month. I also try to send birthday cards out to people all at once towards the beginning of the month but hadn't yet done my birthday cards and I still owed someone a letter from the beginning of the Month. I got those finished and got to send out my new, personalized birthday cards that arrived in the mail on Monday from Paperless Post.  

Sleep - This is probably the most important one. I've slept in, I've napped, I've ignored a million things, and I've let my body rest because it really needs it. I need to get out of the mindset where sleeping is a waste of time, especially when I'm sick because if I don't take care of myself...who will?

What sort of quiet things do you do when you're sick at home?

***

Cheery things at home to make me feel better - a mug of tea, fresh flowers, April's ELLE magazine, and the TV remote! 

Cathedrals

Cathedrals

uyguguygu   17.49   Comment  

***

I'm wearing a striped t-shirt from target (similar here and here), a Brooks Brothers skirt, and j. crew shoes. I have no idea where the clutch is from - I borrowed it from my mom! I can't find a link to the skirt anywhere on the internet but if you are a home sewer there is a free pattern and tutorial for a skirt with a scalloped waistband here.

You Should Know: Living Gluten Free - Things I've Learned Along the Way

You Should Know: Living Gluten Free - Things I've Learned Along the Way

uyguguygu   08.29   Comment  

(This is part one of a series of Gluten Free posts. Look for a post on my favorite Gluten Free Resources coming up soon!)

I've been exclusively gluten free for many, many years. In addition to that my mother incorporated gluten free cooking into our lives even before I went gluten free myself because my sister has a pretty serious case of Celiac that manifested itself when she was a teenager.

My own gluten free journey started when I simply could not get well - I had cold after flu after ache after pain after migraine and underwent the same testing in college and got the same diagnosis. My life completely changed for the better after I took the gluten free plunge and living gluten free turned out to be pretty easy, even in the gluten-free stone age before special marked menus at restaurants and bakeries devoted to gluten free products.

1. Focus on Foods that are Already Gluten Free - This is my number one tip for people when I'm approached by people who are starting their gluten free journey, or are even in the middle of it and are finding it tougher and tougher to sustain the level of prep needed to feed a gluten free child or themselves. When you focus on foods that are already gluten free, like veggies, corn tortillas instead of wheat ones, sushi (if you get the right soy sauce!), and many soups you will find that you have a whole cache of foods that are gluten free without even trying. In fact, I generally think in specific cuisine options - I find Mexican, Vietnamese, Japanese, Indian Food and Soups to be the ones we make the most often at home because they are easily modified (again, we use a gluten free Soy Sauce) or don't need to be modified at all.

2. Find the Gluten Free Hot Spots in Your Area - You know your neighborhood, city, or town and eating gluten free can be easier or harder where you live. I live in Denver which has been great for gluten free living! Almost every single restaurant has a gluten free option or two and most people here are familiar with this. But, it was not always so easy, both in the days before gluten free was a thing and in more rural ares. I have lived in Detroit (much harder!) and Milwaukee (Fair to middling, on the upswing!) in addition to Denver and have done extensive traveling around the country and internationally. Make sure you know where the gluten free friendly places are, both where you live and where you're going. This includes restaurants that allow you to "create" your own dish out of things on the menu ("Please give me a plate with fries, a side of fruit, and some of those cheeses you put on your hamburgers, but no hamburger...") or ones that do have a gluten free menu. It's also good to know where bakeries and gluten free friendly grocery stores are as well.

3. Celebrate Being Gluten Free - Being gluten free will give you an opportunity to experience things you wouldn't normally have done and meet people you wouldn't normally run into. Embrace this! I've always been a bit of a dessert connoisseur so when I travel I seek out gluten free bakeries and those often are located in interesting neighborhoods off the beaten path of a city or are tucked away in small towns. My mother-in-law has really risen to the challenge of having a gluten free family member and we've gone to some great ones in quaint little towns around Philadelphia and I can remember one memorable moment where I made my husband pull a U-turn on our way out to the beach from their house because the words "gluten free" caught my eyes on a sign. Tucked in among the dunes of New Jersey was a gluten free bakery in an old stone house from the 1700s with the most amazing Angel Food Cake. If I hadn't been gluten free we would have missed out on that awesome side trip!

4. Always Pack a Gluten Free Snack - It's not always easy to be gluten free, especially when you're traveling. Hunger can strike at any moment and you could be somewhere where there simply isn't any food you can eat, like an airport, a gas station rest stop on a road trip, or a conference or work event you can't easily leave. To fix this make sure you've packed snacks. I generally go almost everywhere with an apple (they hold up well!) a zip lock bag of a high protein snack like nuts, and a packet from my favorite snack company graze. Having a snack means I'm not stressing about being hungry and getting cranky while doing so.

5. Only Buy Pre-made Gluten Free Foods When Absolutely Necessary - The most expensive part of being gluten free are the pre-made gluten free foods. You can spend your entire grocery budget on these things if you're not careful! I find that baking mixes, recipe books, and ingredients are much, much cheaper and budget friendly. I've established, over the years, a repertoire of easy baked goods and I keep a lot of staple gluten free ingredients like cocoa powder, almond flour, corn starch, and guar gum on hand so I can get busy cooking when the inspiration strikes. Learning how to bake your own does involve trial and error - I've had to toss entire batches of things many times before - but eventually you get your go-to things down. My one exception to buying pre-made gluten free foods is a loaf of bread that I pick up every week to two weeks. I just don't have time to make a loaf of bread every week and having that on hand makes packing lunches extra easy!

I hope that this was helpful for you! What other questions do you have about gluten free living that I can help answer?

***

All photos were taken at the incredible Bloom Bake Shop in Middleton, Wisconsin. Can you believe that every single dessert pictured was gluten free? Many of them were vegan, too! We were there for gluten free wedding cake tastings for my sisters upcoming wedding. Annemarie, the proprietor of the bake shop, was an incredible hostess and an outstanding baker. I haven't eaten a donut in almost a decade and yet she created donuts that were so good I went to sleep dreaming of them!

Spring Thinking

Spring Thinking

uyguguygu   05.00   Comment  

Spring has arrived here in Colorado! Things are not quite green yet, but there are definite buds on the trees and bulbs starting to push up from the ground. We have a ton of tulips planted in the garden out back and I can't wait to see them come up and bloom! I will know it's really arrived when the 100-year-old rose bushes that cover the walls of our garden start turning green - they always seem like they are the last things to wake up in spring but the thousands of pink roses we get all summer are worth the wait. 

I don't know about you but It feels like we are exhaling the cold darkness of winter and with each deep breath we are breathing spring to life.  I am grateful for the sun, the beautiful weather we've been having, the chances to play outside after work and on the weekends, and the fact that I can shed my coat midway through riding my horse and trot around in a sweater or a down vest. I got a new swimsuit in the mail and things are really looking up! 

In addition to the lovely weather I made a promise to myself that I would buy myself flowers for each week of school I have left. After this week it'll be nine more. I have nine more to get through as gracefully and as patiently as possible and I have nine more little bouquets to pick out on Monday mornings and bring home for the weekend on Fridays. I picked out sunflowers the first week, white lillies the second week, and I'm not sure what will come next week! Keep watching instagram and this blog for real time postings of my flower choices. You're on the edge of your seat, I'm sure! 

Finally, here are a few things that have kept me occupied on the internet this week:

// For dinner this week the major hits have been stir fried tofu, mushrooms, and greens and this spicy Tofu Tikka Masala

// I can't wait to try curried kale next week

// Check out this excellent and lighthearted playlist of remixed folk songs - I listen to it right after work when I'm cleaning up for the evening

// I don't own a single coffee table book but I daydream about owning them regularly - I'd love this one about Detroit in 1968 by Enrico Natali to be in that stack

// Even though I'm more of a pearl stud earring wearer, these Rough Diamond Stud Earrings are a beautiful, fresh take on the classic diamond studs.

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I'm wearing my mother's tweed jacket from her college days, a Land's End Shirt (I love these shirts so much I own like, three of them), Madewell Skinny Skinny Jeans, and Frye Melissa Button Boots. The necklace I picked up in Anchorage, Alaska last summer.