Ramblings of The Farrier's Daughter

Do you ever have those moments where something strikes you as funny or odd and you just can't seem to shake the thought?

I don't know if Dairy Queen, best known for its hot eats and cool treats, is a nationwide chain, or if we North westerners are the only ones lucky enough to enjoy their scrumptious Blizzards, but when you order one of these amazing desserts, you get more than just a sweet mixture of ice cream and candy bars. What you get my friends is a very awkward moment.

Imagine this:

After ordering, waiting patiently while the saliva builds in anticipation, and handing over your hard earned cash, the worker slides open the window and reaches out with your Blizzard in hand. You anxiously reach to meet them in the middle when you notice they have stopped midway and are now turning your cold treat upside down right in front of your face! 

The first time this happened I just about screamed in fear that they were dropping my Georgia Mud Fudge on the ground like some evil trick. But they quickly turned the dessert with no lid, (spoon stuck smack dab in the top) right side up and handed it over with a smile on their face. Strange! What is even more strange is that there is never any verbal communication throughout the entire exchange. No explanation for what I call a very random act. 

I've decided over the years of ordering my favorite, Georgia Mud Fudge, that this awkward moment is likely because DQ prides themselves on on the freshness of their blizzards and that they do this to show that the ice cream has not melted. Nonetheless, it creates an uneasy feeling every. single. time.

I thought that this random thought needed a visual, so I have come up with my very own Ecard:

Can anyone out there relate?

A Lalaloopsy Birthday Party

Ahhh, alas, it is over!

I have this problem where I say silly things like, 

"I'm not going to go all out or do anything fancy this time."

If you ever hear me say this, please know that it is a lie.

While I sometimes try not to put too much emphasis on parties and decorating, I have found that I simply cannot help it.

Our youngest daughter recently turned four years old, and requested a Lalaloopsy Birthday Party. While it may not have much to do with The Farrier's Daughter, it has a lot to do with family, which is very important to me, so I thought I'd share :-) 

The birthday girl requested a chocolate cake (following right in her Mama's footsteps).

So with the the aid of what I like to call a "Cake Coach", I proceeded to make my own.

I'm not much of a baker. 

I appreciate pretty baked goods, and I enjoy eating pastries, but I have never had the best luck with getting things to look pretty. Caving, cracking, burning...the list goes on. So this was a huge undertaking for me. 

But with the help of my Cake Coach (an extremely talented friend sending me links to websites, and written instructions), it turned out wonderfully!

 The finished product was a smooth finished, crusted butter cream icing over chocolate cake with a creamy peanut butter filling in between the layers! 

YUM!

The paper toppers were made from scrap booking paper, buttons and paper straws, and the rest were Lalaloopsy figurines that the birthday girl could keep!

 The party was based around her favorite doll...

Crumbs Sugar Cookie.

So, of course, I had to make sugar cookies!

The original plan was to use Royal Icing to get that perfect finish on the cookies, but because I am a Royal Icing virgin, and because that stuff really doesn't have a pleasant taste, I decided to go with butter cream. Remember that crusting butter cream I mentioned earlier?

Same stuff!

Worked like a charm, and tasted good!

This is what Crumbs Sugar Cookie looks like.

Since my girls LOVE to dress up, part of her gift was a Crumbs Sugar Cookie outfit to wear.

Here is the Birthday Girl on the morning of her party.

And if you have two daughters, then you know that you can't make dress up for one and not the other. Big sister requested a dress that mimicked Jewels Sparkles.

    

 Not as close of a match, but it did the trick. 

Refreshments were served from my trusty Costco drink dispenser. If they ever get these in stock again (usually around the holidays), you have to buy one! Trust me, you'll be glad you did.

I use this one all of the time. 

Activities consisted of stringing brightly colored, beaded, necklaces, embroidery hoop ring toss, 

Annnnnnnnnddddd.............

A real-life Lalaloopsy Bobble Head! 

I like to call her Lalalindsey!

Haha!

Ok, so I'm joking.

It was just too tempting to not stand behind the giant pianta for a photo op!

Candy/Loot Bags were just craft bags that I ran through the Big Shot with a Chevron embossing folder. 

Want one for yourself?

You can get it by going here:

http://www.stampinup.com/ECWeb/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=127749

The Lalaloopsy Pinata was made using a big punching balloon for the base.

Luckily our oldest was a champion at paper mache, so I had a good helper.

After filling and attaching  the strings for hanging, I added hair, (using pink paper napkins rolled up), and painted on her face.

I have to admit that after all of the hard work that went into it, we were hesitant to let kids beat her with a bat!

Remember when I said that I can't help but decorate?

That, I was not lying about.

Knowing that the kids would want to do pony rides, I decided we should also decorate the horse!

So the morning of the party, the girls and I went out with our paint and fabric scraps and turned Polly into a Lalaloopsy inspired pony. 

Two very proud parents!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl~We Love You!

How to wear Cowboy Boots with Dresses

This post comes to you as a sequel to Cowboy Boots...A Girls Best Friend, because of it's unexpected popularity and the fact that when I wrote that, it was more about my story with boots and less about how to wear your cowboy boots. It's also because it's summer time, and more and more gals are going to start wondering weather they are brave enough to jump into a pair of boots and a sundress! I'm here to tell you there is a reason why you may be nervous: cowboy boots are bold! The good news is that the sooner you realize this small, but important fact, the closer you will be to making great outfit choices involving your boots.

(source)

Now that we've got that out of the way, lets assume for a minute that you don't yet own a pair of boots. 

Which ones to get? 

(Already have a pair? Feel free to skip over this next part to Let's Talk Dresses-my feelings won't be hurt)

Color

With all of the new colors, shapes, heel and shaft heights out there, it can be intimidating. If you are new to boots, and plan on wearing them mostly with dresses let me make just one suggestion...go brown for your first pair, and please for the sake of all things good and right, be sure and buy leather. This is an investment, and the last thing you want to do is strut your stuff in a pair of pleather boots. If that little voice in your head is asking you, "But how will anyone know the difference?" Trust me they will! When leather boots scuff, it shows that this isn't your first rodeo. It says, "Yeah, I'm a girl whose not afraid to get dirty and work hard." Guys like that. Trust me.

When pleather scuffs, well it doesn't really scuff...it peels. It looks tacky and cheap, and nobody wants to be tacky or cheap.

Okay back to the color. I suggest brown because it is a good staple to have in your closet. Seems silly to start branching out to other colors before you are confident in your trusty brown boots. Also, color adds more boldness to the boot. If you are already a little unsure about this, you'll stand out a little less in brown. Brown also goes with most everything, so it's a 10 in versatility.

Shape

Yes, they come in many shapes...toe shapes that is.

Again, my suggestion on shape is considering that you are mostly looking to wear your new or existing boots with dresses. In my opinion, wearing your boots with jeans opens up a world of opportunity that you just don't have with dresses. So for dresses, I suggest a pointy or snip toe.

The point helps elongate the line of the legs and adds a little "dressy factor" that is always a plus when wearing even a casual dress. The other bonus is that pointy or snip toe boots also look great with jeans. Score!

If you must know why I steer clear of round toe when it comes to wearing dresses it's because in the farm world, rounded toe boots say, "working boots". 

Hey did she just contradict herself? 

Didn't she say guys like hard working girls? 

Hold tight, I didn't. Well, I did.  But what I meant was they like a worn-in boot and a girl whose not afraid to get dirty. However, they don't want their elevator eyes to come to a screeching halt when they get to your boots because they can't get past the image of  horse poop, mucking stalls, and feeding livestock. 

Heel and Shaft Height

Heel height is important when it comes to pairing boots with dresses. Think about models on the runway. Even if they are 99.9% nude there is one thing they will always have one. Are you with me? Heels! There is a reason us ladies wear heels and it's because it does good things for our overall look. They extend the leg, lift the tush, and make us look a tad slimmer. 

So when you go to buy your boots, please pass by the ropers! 

On the opposite side of things, I urge you to also be careful of going with too tall of a heel. A super high heel on a boot can scream, well, I hate to say it, but slutty, sleazy, or easy. 

Wow! That was uncomfortable! Sorry, I had to do it...it was for your own good...promise.

Shaft height is pretty standard in cowboy boots. I have noticed this year the short shaft is becoming more popular, but I consider those more of a fashion boot and less of an authentic cowboy boot.

If you are tall, Liberty Boots makes an extended shaft that would look fabulous with sundresses, but for us vertically challenged girls, we'd better stick to the regular height shaft so that we don't end up looking like we are playing dress up in our mama's closet.

Another thing to pay close attention to when trying on a boot is the shaft circumference. Those of us with what I like to call "athletic calves", are going to have a little more trouble here. You want to be careful not to get a boot that fits tightly around your calf. Not only is it uncomfortable, it screams CHUBBY when you wear them with a dress. Again, just being honest here. Don't hate me.

The other plus to getting a boot with a little wiggle room in the shaft is that is provides a convenient place to store your Cowgirl Canteen (super cute hip flask made especially for women).

Okay, so now that we have the boots figured out,

Let's talk dresses.

It's summer time, so I am going to focus on shorter length dresses. 

(For the record: I have worn a maxi dress with boots before, I'm just not sure I'll ever do it again. It probably works better for taller gals, but for me, well, I felt like I already had most of my body covered up with the long dress, and that my feet needed to be free!) 

When choosing a dress to wear with your cowboy boots, think feminine, and flirty. I am going to revert back to the rule we talked about earlier.

Boots. Are. Bold. 

Wearing boots with dresses is already sexy. Getting a super short dress, with cleavage spilling over, or one that looks as if it's been painted on is not going to do anything for your class factor. 

Choose something that shows a little bit of leg (not showing enough will make you look short).

Flowy, non-form fitting look best. 

The idea here is that the concept of wearing your boots with a dress is what is sexy. The attention should be on the outfit. If you want to put emphasis on body parts, then be sure and lotion up your arms and legs so that they are glowing, or opt for a strapless dress. 

Need a cover up option?

A nice denim jacket does the job and looks super cute! 

I hope this helps answer some questions and you feel confident in rocking your boots with dresses. I hear a lot of women say that they despise wearing shorts in the summer time, and this is the perfect solution!

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