Reflections: Last Weekend--Dressage at Devon

As I'm gearing up for another homework filled weekend that will include tears, contemplating the meaning of life, and falling asleep with my most loyal companion–pen and paper, I can't help but think about what a great time I had last weekend. For those of you in-the-know about Dressage or even equestrian things at-large, last weekend was the annual Dressage at Devon horse show–a prominent horse show here on the East Coast were we shop all the sales until we literally drop (or run to our cars to stow away bags so we can shop some more), drink, and then watch horses prance around and ogle at all the cool helmets, saddles, jackets, bridles the competitors have.

Looking (Almost) Flawless at the Stables

Hacking out on some trails w me on Baloume and Mother on Zeus

I love being at the barn. I wish I could live at the barn with my horses, not in their stall per se but maybe like cute loft apartment above the barn. The barn is my sacred place, it's my safe haven where all the worries of the world just melt away as soon as I step through those doors. It's the place that all my friends know not to disturb me at, and they also know that if I am talking to them while I'm at the barn, then they better count themselves damn special. There's not anywhere else that I would rather be when I am at the barn. However, being at the barn does come with an asterisks mark, as that's the one place (besides the gym I would think, but maybe another post on that?) that I think it's not always so easy trying to look glamorous, or at the very least, dolled up.

Restaurant Feature: Naturale Cucina

The DELISH Spinach + Ricotta Tarta

AMAZING Pera Pazza Salad

I'm sitting across from my mother at a restaurant in Englishtown as we wait for 2:00PM–a client's lesson time. My mother is on her phone, per usual. Probably just using data to scroll through FB, not actually doing anything of significant value or anything productive. So I pick up my Moleskine journal and pen and start writing about my surroundings...

Inspiring Women: Frida Giannini, Part 2!

Interview Magazine

A while back for my inspiring women segment I talked about the Creative Director (more like creative genius) behind Gucci, Frida Giannini, as someone who I look to for inspiration as the kind of person I want to become. However, not only was I absolutely captivated by her persona but I was also taken by her style. She manages to be the creative genius behind this huge iconic fashion label, all while looking impeccable. Maybe it comes with territory but if I was as busy as her I would look a hot mess. While I'm sure she has a team of people to make her look as great as possible, I'm not talking about execution. I'm talking about how she presents herself as far as appearances matter. Of course it helps that she's absolutely gorgeous, but still. What I love most about her look is how she wears her hair: if she's wearing her hair down she has a simple part down the middle; or if it happens to be up, it's just a simple (you know I love simple things) low-set pony tail. Her hair is a specific signature look for her. I feel like she makes the whole medium length hair thing look super, which gives people like me some reassuring hope.

Key Words to Live By

Here are a few simple key words I found on this lovely blog that I think are key to living a whole and healthy life:

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined" –Henry David Thoreau 

If I Was a Rich Girl

If I was a rich girl and I had all the money in the world to buy up all the things that make me drool, besides diamonds, ponies, cars, and champagne here are a few of my favorite things that make up my wishlist.

Although you can take a peak at them on the lovely slideshow I have created, for some reason, I thought I would rationalize why exactly I need them. These are more practical and realistic things that I put on my wishlist, things that I can actually plan on buying.

Inspiring Women: Frida Giannini

Photo Credit: Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott 

On a late night when I should have gone to bed but didn't, in my onDemand library I had the pleasure of finding the James Franco produced fashion documentary Gucci: The Director about Frida Giannini. The documentary provides an inside look into the famed Creative Director's life over the course of three parts or segments: past, present, and future. As I watched this woman tell the story of her work at Gucci, I was completely enamored by her, and by the end of the docu, I found a new inspiration or role model of sorts.

The Embodiment of Cool

Sabo Skirt Shades of pink and violet dance together in a fit of pure beauty.

  My favorite place to "window shop" just happens to be on the complete other side of the world. Once upon a time, a friend posted a really really pretty dress on facebook and I had to find out where she got it from. Although it took her about two weeks to get it and shipping & handling fees were a bitch, this dress, was more than worth it.  Ever since I found out that the dress had come from Australian online retailer Sabo Skirt, I have been obsessed! Sometimes, I spend hours upon hours scrolling through each one of their categories, just drooling over each piece. Unfortunately, I have yet to make a purchase, not because I haven't wanted to but because as a full time college student sometimes paying for clothes to ship from across the world is harder than buying locally.* But the clothes are so cool and fresh so I want to share it with all of you!

Whirlwind of Changes, A Letter to My Readers

Dear Readers,

I named this blog The Glamorous Equestrian because that's how I like to think of myself. I call myself the glamorous equestrian because that's what I aspire to be. Many horse people often say "I don't care how I look, but my horse looks nicer than me" but that's not true for me. Even at the barn, I still try to dress to impress (unless it's the middle of winter and I look like a marshmallow...). So as a collection of all my musings and inspirations, this blog will also include equestrian style and inspiration. Because being a real equestrian isn't about getting on your horse once a week and being a Sunday rider, it's a complete lifestyle. And I think I kind of lost focus of that. As an English major and a fiction writer, we are taught that although our content should be relatable to everyone, it should still have a focus and a purpose. Therefore, through this blog I want show that just because we have horses and most of the time are covered in horse hair and slobber, we clean up nicely as well...

I have had a whirlwind of changes in my life. The past couple years have been filled with anxiety, reject, new changes, and finally acceptance that change doesn't always mean a bad thing. I found myself at a new university, and although I was utterly heartbroken to leave my last school, it has been one of the most amazing changes I have made. I also have had to go through some self exploration, and while I have not found myself nearly at the end of that road, and I still have many many years of growing up to do, I still have, for now at least, learned some things about myself. I almost forgot some of the more important lessons in life about being a strong, independent woman.

Zeus, 16 yr old Morgan

It all started with our new horses, when we rescued the first out of the three. He was about 15 when on a sort of motherly intuition I convinced my mother that we couldn't chance it that he wouldn't be gone the next day. So we bought him. Then and there before anyone else got the chance to snatch him up and that's how my hope and passion for life was reignited. He was 15 last year when we rescued him and I honestly think he has done more for us than us for him. He has taught me so much about never giving up, second chances, and it never being too late for a happy ending. Who knows his life before he came to us, who knows how the people before us treated him, but despite all the things that went wrong in his life for him to end up at that rescue lot, he is still one of the best horses out there. I trust that horse with my life more than I have ever trusted a horse. Although half the time he acts like the biggest goofball in the world, I know when it comes down to it, he would do anything for me and I for him, and it started when I convinced my mother. We could have ended up with the worst case scenario of what happens with rescue horses, but instead we have been bountifully blessed. Each day with him he surprises us with how awesome he is. Through this horse, my faith in life has been restored. He has shown me such kindness and love and tolerance and it has reinspired me to live my life the same. If he can finally have his happy ending at 15, then it's not too late for me or anyone else to start living the life they want. And that's what this blog will be, my culmination and building blocks to living the life I want as the glamorous equestrian, and I want to share it all with you! So, I'm inviting you to come on this journey with me.

Check out the other two from our pack:

Baloume Z, 11 yr old Zangersheide

 

Unlimited Power aka Hermes, 5 yr old OTTB

I think now is the perfect time for me to start writing here again and to refocus my aspirations for the blog, as Spring is finally here which means time for re-awakening!

carrots & peppermints,
rebekka hov.
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