Cheers and A Good Tip

The weekend is fast approaching and it’s time to get your friends together and hang out in your backyard or by the pool. I have the perfect summer drink to make for all your pals or if you prefer to drink alone this pitcher will last you all weekend. Cheers!

Summer Sangria:

1 bottle of red wine (cabernet sauvignon, merlot, rioja, zinfandel, shiraz)

1 lemon cut into wedges

1 orange cut into wedges

1 lime cut into wedges

2 tbsp sugar

splash of orange juice or lemonade

2 shots of gin or triple sec (optional)

1 cup of raspberries or strawberries (may use thawed or frozen)

1 small can of diced pineapples (with juice)

4 cups gingerale

Pour wine into large pitcher and squeeze the juices from the wedges and toss them into the wine. Add pineapple, sugar, lemonade and gin. Chill overnight. Add gingerale, berries and ice just before serving. You can skip the gingerale, if you wanted it to be richer and less fizzy.

Tip For The Weekend:

If your summer involves spending a fair amount of time in a pool that uses chlorine, your skin can come out very parched and this great tip helps re-moisturize your skin. Salt is a potent hydrator that can help deliver moisture to your skin cells. So if you’re dried out after a day of swimming, soak for 10 minutes in a bathtub of water and 1 cup table salt. Rinse briefly, pat yourself dry, then seal in the remaining moisture with lotion while your skin is still damp.

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10 Steps To Get In Shape To Own A Horse

This pretty much sums it up!!!!

TEN EASY STEPS TO GET IN SHAPE TO OWN A HORSE:

1. Drop a heavy steel object on your foot, don’t pick it up right away, & shout “Get off! Get off!”

2. Leap out of a moving vehicle and practice “Relaxing into the fall”. Roll lithely into a ball, and spring to your feet.

3. Learn to grab your checkbook out of your purse and write out a $200 check without even looking down.

4. Jog long distances carrying a halter and holding out a carrot. Go ahead and tell the neighbors what you’re doing.They might as well know now.

5. Affix a pair of reins to a moving freight train and practice pulling it to a halt, smile as if you are really having fun.

6. Practice your fibbing skills. “See, moving hay bales is fun!” and ” I’m glad your lucky performance and multi-million dollar horse won you first place!”

7. Practice dialing your chiropractors number with both arms paralyzed to the shoulder, and one foot anchoring the lead rope of a frisky horse.

8. Borrow the US Army slogan; “Be all that you can be’…(add) bitten, thrown, kicked, slimed, trampled.”

9. Lie face down in the mud in your most expensive riding clothes and repeat to yourself: “This is a learning experience, this is a learning experience .”

10. Marry Money!

Just A Little Smile

I have maintained for a long time that a sense of humor is essential if you are going to own, ride and show horses. It makes the tough days between the glorious (win) days tolerable. There is nothing like a good smile or deep laugh to keep you trucking.

Today’s laugh came in the form of a website called Equestrian Ryan Gosling. It is beyond hilarious and fuels my silly crush on Ryan Gosling (sorry honey) by featuring pictures of Ryan Gosling with horsey sayings. I don’t know who created the site but it is pure genius. You can check it out by clicking here: Equestrian Ryan Gosling.

Images from Equestrian Ryan Gosling.

Stuff Riders Say Part 2

Thanks to the crew at SmartPak there is another hilarious version of Stuff Riders Say and I can honestly say I have heard many (if not all) of these phrases come out of my mouth. Now, I think they should do Stuff Horse Trainers Say. Enjoy!

Zip The Zap

We are in the midst of blanket wearing season and if static is making your horse a little uneasy every time you take off and put on his blanket, try this super easy trick to zip the zap. Fill an empty, clean spray bottle 1/3 full with liquid fabric softener and then fill the rest of the bottle with water, shake to mix. Then spritz the mixture liberally on the outside and inside of the blanket when you take it off your horse as well as before using it for the first time after it is washed. Your horse’s blanket will smell delightful and be static free.

If you are worried about allergies you can use a “free, clear” version of fabric softener.

On a personal note (or if you are not a horse person) and are fighting static every time you brush your hair, try spritzing your hair brush with hairspray before brushing. It does the trick!

Fashion Wishes 2012

Happy New Year! I can’t believe another year has come and gone! This new year has got me reflecting on the past and future of fashion and I have a few fashion wishes for the new year. Just a few items and trends that I wish would change in the upcoming year.

Number 1: Goodbye mile-high, platform stripper shoes. Hello ladylike heels. Manolo Blahnik happens to agree with me too!

Dainty is Divine

Number 2: Designer Collaborations: I am just so over the much-hyped designer collaborations which often produces inferior, cheap clothes (priced higher then their quality even suggests due to the designer’s name). You’re not fooling anyone, everyone knows you bought that Missoni sweater at Target or that Karl Lagerfeld dress at Macy’s. Plus, half the stuff shows up on e-bay.

Karl Lagerfeld’s Collection for Macy’s was the worst!

Number 3: Real Housewives Hair/Kardashian Hair: You know the type, long fake waves of hair cascading down overly-tanned shoulders. The look is totally unoriginal and no one should aspire to look like any of these women. Jennifer Aniston’s bob and Emma Watson’s cut just look fresher and more unique.

Just Say No!

Better:

Number 4: This last fashion wish is sadly just a pipe dream but maybe someday designers, editors and photographers will learn to embrace the female form and stop using overly-skinny anorexic models and instead learn to design clothes that fit a wider range of shapes and sizes thus celebrating women. I am not talking about just plus-sized models but models that wear a size 6, 8 or 10, average size.

What are your fashion wishes for 2012? New Trends? Old Trends?

Burn Baby, Burn

Skip the gym and head to the barn to burn off extra calories this holiday season. This chart details how many calories can be burned while doing normal barn chores as well as riding. Cleaning stalls and riding are certainly more fun than walking on a treadmill. I guess I will go ahead and make Paula Deen’s Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies and then just spend a little extra time grooming!

Get Your Stripes On

A cold, crisp north wind has finally pushed away all memories of the hottest summer on record and put a spring in my step as well as a spring in my horses hooves! It’s time to dig out and dust off your coats and your horse blankets. I’ve had my eye on a Horseware Newmarket Fleece Dress Sheet for my horse and a Horseware Newmarket Fleece Jacket for me. The super-soft anti-pill fleece will be extra cozy for cool fall days as well as make a great base layer on really cold days. The preppy stripes in striking colors add a fashiony touch to traditional solid colors, giving your and your horse’s wardrobe a little zing.

Wear your fleece jacket with jeans or breeches and don’t forget to layer with a fur lined-hooded vest on colder days. Available in three colors at DoverSaddlery.com.

The Horseware Newmarket Fleece Dress Sheet is made from an anti-pill, double-bonded fleece which offers excellent thermal and wicking properties. Cross surcingles and two-surcingle front closures. Sizes 63″-87″ (3″ increments). Available in 4 colors at Shop.Horseware.com. On really cold winter days layer it with your horse’s thick winter blanket for an extra bit of warmth.

Fall Fashion-Equestrian Style

Fashion has a long history of taking design inspiration from the horse world. Just look at Ralph Lauren’s iconic polo pony logo, Gucci’s snaffle bit detail, everything Hermes, knee-high boots modeled after riding boots and the constant return of jodhpur inspired leggings. Equestrian chic holds a certain allure; full of luxury, sport, and rich history. As a horse person I am thrilled when high fashion tips it’s head to the world of horses and riding.

This year SmartPak (the go-to place for all things horse related) tipped it’s head to fashion and composed a fall fashion look book full of gorgeous outfits to wear in and out of the barn. The boots featured are drool worthy and will look great worn with breeches or skinny jeans. Click here to see the full look book.

Juicy Lips

My husband had me help answer phones at his office a few weeks ago and I spent a fair amount of time online shopping. Sephora was my boredom breaker of choice and I stocked up on all of my faves as well as tried a few new things.

The product I was most excited to get and try was Yves St Laurent’s Volupte Sheer Candy lipstick. It was lauded high and low by pretty much every beauty editor in print and online. Since I am a sucker for a good sales pitch, I just had to have my own shiny silver tube of “the best summer lipstick” that will make your lips look juicy while also creating world peace. I figured that was a lot for a lipstick to live up to but I was willing to sacrifice my lips for science and give it a try.

I am happy to report that the beauty editors had it right; it is the best summer lipstick. Each tube of fruit-filled color swipes on a sheer wash of berry-liciousness, leaving your lips soft, shiny and like you just took a bite out of a ripe piece of fruit. My only complaint is that it wears more like a gloss than a lipstick, meaning it does not have a lot of staying power. But hey, in this heat I am not sure I could take a thick lipstick and this fills the void nicely!

Yves St Laurent Volupte Sheer Candy ($30) is available in 6 colors (I recommend the Mouthwatering Berry and Luscious Cherry) at Sephora.com.