Summer Gypsy-isms

Snow is coming, a windstorm shook the life out of all the trees and their fall beauty last night,

and now we're slipping slowly into winter, bare trees, cold winds, bleak and dark skies..

ugh.

Winter isn't all that bad, but when it doesn't hold a candle to summertime,

I always feel like a roving cowgirl gypsy in the summer,

I feel like I could go anywhere, see anything, be anyone

however I choose to take up settlement at my camp, see the red and the grease rivers and be myself

but there's that... knowledge, that you're free and it's summer.

Winter doesn't have any of that.

Where'd my roving cowgirl gypsy life go?

Want: Horsehair Jewellery

A random twitter account started following me and I pretty much ignored it, until in a fit of boredom I happened onto this person, and then the website listed in their bio. It turned out to be a rep for Nanna Salmi Horsehair Jewellery, I've heard of horsehair jewellery before and I absolutely love the idea, but this is perhaps the most beautiful stuff I've ever found - however, it definitely reflects that in it's price.


From their website, "Nannasalmi™collection is a horsehair jewelry collection created from horsehair, precious metals and diamonds. Each nannasalmi™collection is a horsehair jewelry collection created from horsehair, precious metals and diamonds. Each piece is completely hand-fashioned from your own horse's hair. Jewelry can also be made from the stock hair. is completely hand-fashioned from your own horse's hair. Jewelry can also be made from the stock hair."


Because I am in love, and am hoping someone who loves me sees this blog post and decides to drop an exorbitant amount of money on me I'll post a few of my favourite pieces from their collection, taken from the USA-Canada Facebook page.

"Cassiopeia"

- Gold - $3,540 USD; White Gold - $3,900 USD

I looooove this ring, and you could almost stomach the price if you decided to use it as your wedding band - that would be super cute if the couple were "horse people" together. Right?!

"Clapton"

- Silver - $260 USD; Gold - $990 USD; White Gold - $1,265 USD

"Saudia"

- Silver - $335 USD; Gold - $1,480 USD; White Gold - $1,920

- both could be options for the groom! I'm thinking here! Rationalizing!

Also, this was commissioned specifically for HRH Prince Abdullah Bin Miteb Abdullah Al-saud, from the Saudi show jumping team, it was named after a prized stallion of his.

"Cedric"

- Silver - $540 USD; Gold - $2460 USD; White Gold - $2950 USD

Cufflinks

these were specially made for someone, but they are coming out with cufflinks soon in different colours/variations

"Mistral"

- Silver - $320 USD; Gold - $980 USD; White Gold - $1,160

this is one of my absolute favourites, it's gorgeous, I am dying over it.

"Scirocco"

- Silver - $540 USD; Gold - $2,460 USD; White Gold - $2,950

absolutely, dying, over, this, bracelet

"Shoe-Shoe"

(in silver with arrowhead pattern)

- Silver - $320 USD; Gold - $865 USD; White Gold - $1,070

pretty, pretty, pretty, la la la la

So, all in all I am completely in love. Although, I highly doubt the day will ever come I could comfortably buy any of these pieces I still can't help but pretend that the one day I'll be prancing around to events with the "Shoe-Shoe", "Mistral" and "Scirocco" all on my wrist, and the "Cassiopeia" on my ring finger. (...because they'd totally look amazing together, right?)

After I discovered the prices I checked online for other horsehair jewellery and couldn't find anything I liked and found as just totally classic and beautiful as this collection. Have you guys found anything comparable?

Fall

There is just something about fall, you know?

The way the tree's turn from green to shades of red and yellow,

the way the leaves seem to rain down for a month on end,

the way nature seems so in-tune as she gets ready for the winter cold, 

how all the colours seem to blend and meld together 

that cold crisp but somehow refreshing fall air

I'm a summer girl, but I can appreciate the sentiment behind fall,

it is pretty beautiful.

Another thing I enjoy about fall is (obviously) riding amongst the leaves. Some friends and I went out to a dude ranch to grab a trail ride before the snow flies and we had a great time. We managed to get in some really perfect laughs, get a little lost, we rode some horses that weren't your stereotypical "trail ponies" and we even managed to have some beers at our favourite local Saloon! .. Saloon's still exist you know, if you've never been to one, I suggest you go, immediately. They are, realistically, just bars with a western-name, but there is something so cool about saying, "I'm just heading to the Saloon"; love it!

All in all it was one of those, "I love my friends, life is so good" kinda days

Playing Make Believe

This last week I got a chance to house-sit for a couple with a beautiful home, horses and barn. The house is so cute, everywhere you look there's paintings of horses, cowboy artwork, bridles hanging on the walls as works of art themselves, horseshoe accents, etc. The barn is a 6 stall, and has the smell of the sweetest hay. Lucy, a quarter horse, always runs up to me when she see's me in the mornings. At first it was a little intimidating, as she full on gallops at you, and then comes to a stop and waits for you to cuddle her. Guess she hasn't given up being a reining horse yet.

On the porch you can see horses everywhere, little acreages with massive houses and beautiful horses and barns. At night you can see the twinkling city lights, and in the morning the sunrise bursts throughout the entire house. I think this place is definitely paradise.

So, I've definitely been playing make believe, pretending this is my own little horse-palace. One day I sure hope I can wake up to candy coloured sunrises, horses nickering in the morning fog, and being able to curl up with the latest issue of Western Horse Review next to a fire, with a beer in my hand. Life would be so sweet.