Goal Check

Thanks to Viva Carlos and Poor Woman Showing, I realized that crap, it’s December, and oh yeah, what about those goals I set at the beginning of the year? Is there any chance of completing the remaining goals in the next few weeks?

The house goals have all been met, and then some- again, update post coming. Design goals- maybe there won’t be a design blog, still fiddling around with the idea so we’ll see.

One goal conquered- this brush fence!

One goal conquered- this brush fence!

Otherwise, here’s the list of goals I set for Foster for the winter:

  • Lengthenings, and lengthening-to-collected transitions I’m going to call this checked, since we commonly practice it now, and while not perfect, it’s happening. Finally.
  • Keep hacking away at canter transitions Yup, made big progress with this- still not perfect, but hacked away at, it is
  • School corners – showjumping style
  • Angled fences/combinations need to do more of this, but we started
  • School chevron if at all possible still not sure if this is possible? 
  • Introduce conditioning program
  • Clip all the fur! check.

Go figure the remaining goals to be met are the jumping ones. Of course, this is my weak link, especially when in the winter all I want to do is be a dressage queen. Also, if I’m honest, I find it a struggle to get time in the jumping arena after work with the current lesson schedules and Foster hasn’t cared for that arena in the dark which makes me loathe to go up there alone and jump school anyways. Phew, glad I got that off my chest. Time to grow a pair/make jump schools happen on weekends/find a buddy to watch me jump at night, I guess. Ugh.

Why, yes, I do fancy myself a DQ sometimes.. ill-fitting boots and all.

Why, yes, I do fancy myself a DQ sometimes.. ill-fitting boots and all.

Some other stuff going on that I haven’t decided if I want to share yet publicly.. otherwise it’s all about the house and updating stuff before the weekend! Yay!

And we’re back

Hubs and I at Thanksgiving!

Hubs and I at Thanksgiving!

We cut our Thanksgiving vacation with my parents shorter than usual, arriving Thursday just in time to stuff ourselves silly with turkey and gravy, and heading out Saturday at lunch time back to the homefront. Why? Well, for one it was convenient this way to miss the most traffic, but more importantly, our heat was on the fritz and the thought of 2 chilly felines left at home was enough to get me back in a hurry.

How could I not want to rush back to this adorable scene?

How could I not want to rush back to this adorable scene?

The heat is still not working, of course, but here’s hoping they get that sorted out today. A fire roaring all day long is pleasant and what-not, but I still prefer the comforts of a working HVAC system every once in a while.

Secretly Drake was happy to come back and receive Elliot love as well

Secretly Drake was happy to come back and receive Elliot love as well

Dealing with house keeping stuff this week as we are finally hosting a little shin dig here this weekend! I’m super excited to have people at the house, since we’ve made so many changes in the last 6 months. A house update post definitely coming soon!

 

Being Thankful

Cue the Thanksgiving-themed post about being thankful. Sorry, not sorry.

But seriously, isn’t it important to take a moment and remember all of the blessings in our lives? This year has been one of emotional duress for me and my family, and so in this season I feel it is especially important to recognize all that we have that is dear.

The Husband
This year we celebrated 5 years of being together, and our first year of marriage. I can’t say how thankful I am for our time together and these memories, and for having someone in my life who is so patient and understanding. It doesn’t hurt that he can also tell the difference between a leg yield and a lengthening, and I continue to be impressed by his support of my hobby.

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Family
This weekend, we’ll be celebrating the birthday of a loved one that has spent as much time in the hospital as out of it, and we are so thankful that they are once more doing well. I’m thankful to have a better relationship with one of my parents. And I’m thankful for bonding with my Grandmother over Outlander, and the knowledge that I am not the only one in this family that goes crazy over all things Scottish.

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Career
Another turbulent part of my life this year. But somehow, I managed to land a position with one of the top companies to work for in the country. I am still shocked that I’m here, but I am immensely grateful. It still amazes me that this is where I ended up, and that I do work that I really love. And let’s be real, I’m incredibly thankful for this job because it allows me to afford a horse, and that, to me, is a big deal. So many, many thanks here.

Thankful for wearing grown-up clothes again

Thankful for having an excuse to wear grown-up clothes again

Friends
It’s been a year of weddings for many of my friends. I feel blessed that I am been able to be a part of some of them, and I’m glad to see them happy in their married lives. I’m also thankful for making new friends this year, mostly through horses, and I sincerely look forward to getting to know these people better the rest of the year.

Thankful for moments like this... (aha, don't kill me!)

Thankful for moments like this… (aha, don’t kill me!)

Foster
You knew this was coming. This has been a big year for Foster. I’m thankful for finding a barn where I think he is happy and healthy. I’m thankful that he has become so confident on the cross country field, and that he has matured so much in the dressage court. I’m thankful for his boisterous, puppy-dog attitude and for the affection he gives me when I groom him. I’m thankful for being able to see him grow, and cannot believe it’s been almost 4 years that we’ve been a team. Here’s hoping for many more.

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Photography Friday: Drake

It’s been a while since I’ve posted Drake photos! I just love the colors of autumn, and here in North Carolina the leaves are beautiful this time of year. So when I spotted some lovely light outside my window this week as I was working from home, I just had to take my favorite model outside for a few photos!

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A victory lap for the model!

A victory lap for the model!

Oh, and then this happened Wednesday:

If there's one thing about my house that I love, it's the light

If there’s one thing about my house that I love, it’s the light

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Happy Friday!

Photography Friday: Nikki’s Bridals

Ahh, I finally get to share these with you!

I had the honor of photographing Nikki for her bridal portraits back in September. It was a beautiful fall day, and this bride-to-be simply glowed! The sky kept changing as we went along, and I swear to you I felt like I was seeing something out of Pride and Prejudice unravel before me – the scenes of pastoral splendor, combined with a stunning dress and glamorous model were simply too much!

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We took this opportunity to photograph Nikki with her mother as well, and I'm so glad we did! What a stunning pair!

We took this opportunity to photograph Nikki with her mother as well, and I’m so glad we did! What a stunning pair!

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Have a wonderful weekend, and Happy Halloween!

 

Wedding weekend, grumpy quads, and a clip job

You know you’ve had a good weekend when your legs are so sore from dancing that you struggle with stairs, and sitting down is actually more like falling into a chair, because your quads just can’t handle those last couple inches before your butt hits the seat.

Selfie with the bride!

Selfie with the bride!

This past weekend marked the last wedding of the year, and it went off with a bang. I had a simply marvelous time seeing old friends, testing my public speech abilities (not so hot- I shake like a leaf!), and putting some serious moves down on the dance floor. Also one odd moment when the entire dance floor decided to fill my updo with glow sticks… Can’t wait to see that picture! The bride is a current best friend and former dressage teammate of mine, so it was fitting that the venue take place in a converted barn, and we seriously raised the roof on that joint!

The bride and I geeking out at her HP-themed engagement party!

The bride and I geeking out at her HP-themed engagement party!

Back at home, I decided I was not so sore I couldn’t give Foster a clip, which he definitely needs with temperatures predicted to reach the 80s this week. It’s not my most meticulous job ever, but I thought it was pretty good for getting it done in just under an hour!

Will take better photo of the clipped pony later

Will take better photo of the clipped pony later

Our work with the draw reins seems to be paying off, and his canter transitions are slowly improving. We’ll continue to visit dressage town this week, and maybe get a jump school in before daylight savings hits this weekend! Can I just say, I hate daylight savings- getting to the barn in the dark is just sad.

Hope y’all had great weekends as well!! Happy Monday!

Skinnytaste

For your Wednesday enjoyment: a completely non-horse-related post.

I try to be a somewhat healthy eater. I try to avoid fried foods (except at the fair, where I’m headed tonight! *squee!*), and now that I am a grown up and do my own grocery shopping, I try to avoid sweets (it helps that the husband has no sweet tooth to speak of). My downfalls are things like Asian noodles, anything Cadbury’s, and when I get sad, ice cream.  I try to cook as much as possible, but this year have been struggling to make time for culinary exploration.

Whenever I do cook, though, I find my recipes on skinnytaste.com. This woman is brilliant at making home-cooked meals just that bit lighter, without sacrificing taste. Meals that I come back to again and again include the turkey chili,

Also done on a stove top!

Also done on a stove top!

spinach and feta quiche,

easy-crust-less-spinach-pie

Always a crowd pleaser

and chicken parmesan.

Husband favorite, and so easy!

Husband favorite, and so easy!

Anyways, the point of sharing all this with you is that I am so excited that there is finally a Skinnytaste cookbook, and it couldn’t be better! Can’t wait to cook up some tasty and not-so-sinful creations!

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Just for Kicks: Made from Scratch vs the Made Horse

I follow Denny Emerson on facebook, and enjoy reading his delightfully outspoken posts almost every day. For non-eventers, Denny is an eventing legend who has been around the block and back, and still competes and jumps bigger fences at a ripe old age (how old is he, anyways?) than I probably ever will in my lifetime. Just saying- follow him, you’ll be glad you did.

Anyways, Denny posted the following commentary this morning:

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Just interesting food for thought… I was spoiled with a ‘made’ showjumper (that would be Merry), that I turned into an eventer, and I would describe our relationship as definitely rocky for the first couple years. Since her, due to one circumstance or another, I’ve been bringing along my own green horses, with relatively good results. Foster and Ivan, my last horse, I had from their younger years (Foster just turned 4 and Ivan was 2), and their little quirks (and there’s a lot of them) meant/mean a lot to me.

What do you guys think? What has been your experience- how has it been to take over the ride on an experienced horse? What about bringing along your own?

2014 Goals: Progress Check

Where the heck did this year go? Honestly, times has flown by, and now that we are officially 3/4 through 2014, it’s time to check in and see how we’re doing.

Original goals as outlined in this post:

Move up to Novice! Check!

Move up to Novice! Check!

For Fosterpants:

  • Move up to Novice
  • Final score under 35 at Novice
  • Nail canter transitions (we kind of interrupted this one by changing his complete way of going, so still a work in progress)
  • Trot lengthenings
  • Master trakehner fences
  • Coffin combinations
  • Conditioning work (no conditioning-specific routine yet, but preparing for show by getting fit is still happening)
Wood floors for the win

Wood floors for the win

 

For the House:

  • Landscape front and backyard
  • Kitchen transformation
  • Replace grody couch

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For Me:

  • Calcium supplements
  • Not be Red Bull Zombie  (we’ll pretend. Still have to caffeinate at horse shows)
  • Be more positive (Eh, it’s been a rough year in some ways.. still working on it!)

That’s a lot checked off our list, but still work to be done through the fall and winter. Adding to the list and getting a little more specific, here’s what I would like to get accomplished in the next few months.

Foster, Foster, Foster:

  • Lengthenings, and lengthening-to-collected transitions
  • Keep hacking away at canter transitions
  • School corners – showjumping style
  • Angled fences/combinations
  • School chevron if at all possible
  • Introduce conditioning program
  • Clip all the fur!
Canter canter canter

Canter canter canter

House:

  • Watch the grass grow 🙂

Design:

  • Wrap up current Farm Logo project for client
  • Edit Bridal Shoot photos
  • Create specific blog for Design work

It’s going to be a busy, busy winter!