Buckaroo Barbie

Full Swing

2020-04-06T18:39:00.001-07:00

I think of this space on the internet as my virtual kitchen. The kitchen is the beating heart of a home in my mind, whether much food is prepared there or not. My kitchens in real life tend to be a bit topsy-turvy. There’s always a jug of some type of flower, or pretty grass, or branches I find interesting on the table, which means pollen and wilting leaves are generally floating around. Shoes that have been toed off under the table lay forgotten, and more often than not there’s a basket of laundry waiting to be folded. I can never get around to folding laundry.

Come, pull yourself up here to my cluttered, albeit cheerful imaginary table and let us chat the way old friends do. Bodies relaxed into chairs, elbows on the table, leaning forward to catch quietly spoken words, snorts of laughter coloring the air.

I’ll start first. In the four years I’ve been absent I’ve worked at school. Quit school. Fallen in love. Built a life with someone. Got a cat. Moved twice. Got a puppy. Promised to marry him. Worked on a farm. Fell head over heels in love with the act of growing food. Had my body utterly fail me. Turned yet another year older feeling as if I was drowning in a shallow puddle. Wrote an article that was published in a magazine with glossy pages. Felt broken. Ate my feelings and gained enough weight that I felt like a stranger in my own body. Couldn’t keep going with what I knew wasn’t right for me and called it all off. Lost friends. Renewed old friendships. Felt my broken heart shatter into so many pieces I don’t know how it pumped blood to my limbs.

I suppose it is just one version of a very old story, but it’s mine so it feels very important.

The last four months though, have seen huge changes in my life. I’ve had my proverbial work sleeves rolled up and I’ve committed to doing the hard work that must be undertaken if you are to become a Whole Person. It is gut wrenching, heart twisting work. When you attempt to look with clear eyes at who you really are as a person and the reasons for the choices you make, it can leave you feeling a tad squirmy, because it’s much easier to think of oneself as an unfortunate hero in your life story, rather than the reason behind the situations you find yourself in.

Squaring up to the truth though, gives you a wonderful opportunity to bring about change.

You just have to be tough enough to go for it.

I’ve overhauled my finances, my communication styles, my unhealthy coping mechanisms

(Lord, don’t I sound like I’ve been in therapy? HA, I have.), my eating habits, how I spend my time and with whom….and four months of hard work have granted me a lifestyle that I can honestly say, “Here. This is me and who I am. I am proud of it.”
It's granted me peace.

So, I’ll keep doing the hard work. I won’t settle for anything less than what sets my soul on fire. I’ll keep having uncomfortable conversations in order to keep growing in my relationships. I’ll keep fishing. Writing. Promising to fold the laundry tomorrow. Planting seeds. Exploring wild places. I’ll keep trying to improve my ability to braid. To nourish my body with food I’ve harvested. To push the limits of how far I can run and hike and swim and climb. To live a vibrant, gloriously honest life.

Thank you for being a part of this life of mine. It feeds my soul!

Afternoon Sunshine

2020-03-31T19:01:00.000-07:00

I wore my thick socks with the enforced toe and heel that I usually reserve for hunting or fishing or long hikes…anything really that is going to be a Long Day.

The day was blustery and chill though, so I pulled them up and over my jean legs; a prayer and an indulgence knitted together in thick wool.

The dogs don’t want to come inside and I don’t blame them. It’s cold but the sun is shining and sheltered here behind the house the wind is more friendly than it is sharp.
I pick my way around the overgrown jasmine bushes and as I step onto the back deck, Bill raises his head and stares at me hopefully. He wants to continue to lay there in that perfect spot, shivery thin skin that he is, cradled in an embrace of sun warmed rock wall and wood planks. He will be the first to heave to his feet and come in if I say so though.

I don’t.

Instead I lay down, gloriously spread eagle, and close my eyes. It reminds me of a day I lay down on the diamond flatbed in watery winter sunlight and fell asleep as my boss wrangled horses and yelled futilely for my assistance. A furry body flings itself next to mine and I smile at the thought of these domesticated little wolves, armed with teeth strong enough to remove fingers from hands if they wished, but instead I can feel joy pumping from their heart through their tail into me.

Just by being here.
Present in this moment.
A simple moment in time that is nothing more than a woman breaking her own rule of walking outside in socks, and laying on the ground and napping with her dogs. In memory though, it will be tinged with the warm colored tones we bestow upon Good Moments in our mind’s archive.

Here is to welcoming more simple moments and declaring them glorious. And welcome back, friends, new and old. I’ve missed you.

Stories in My Coat Pocket

2016-06-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

This is Rick Davis.

I met him yesterday on board The Islander on our way to Santa Rosa.

His father served in WWII and Rick served in Vietnam.

He affectionately called me a little asshole for taking his picture and we cried about our friends who've been hurt in war and death and he told me his favorite secret fishing spot in the Sierras.
I'm going to go visit him and his wife Heidi and learn more about fishing and the backcountry and climbing.

This.

This is what makes the pain we encounter in life tolerable...when we meet other humans who honor us by sharing their stories and we store a piece of that history in our dusty coat pockets until we can pass it along to someone else.

Till we meet again, Rick!!

xo xo Liz

Flying With Your Feet On the Ground

2016-06-15T17:20:00.000-07:00

Where do you feel the closest to “bliss?”

That euphoric place between earth and sky where your heart might actually beat out of your chest from joy, just from being alive...

That spot your soul recognizes as if greeting an old friend…

What is that place to you?

My spot is anywhere outside, up high, that I’ve reached by the means of my own two feet, and the wind is whipping straight up and my hair is flying about and I realize how small I truly am.

And it almost feels as if I’m flying.

That’s my favorite spot on earth...when I’m flying but my feet are rooted on the ground.

xo xo Liz

I Promise You

2016-06-09T18:20:00.000-07:00

What feels like many years ago, I began writing this blog.

It took awhile, but eventually it found its' voice and the goal was to encourage women who broke the mold.

Women who wanted to be better cowboygirls, hands, horsemen....women who wanted to be masters of living a life out loud.

And then I became jaded and discouraged and I quit writing because I felt for the most part, we as women weren't building each other up, and we had lost sight of the goal to become better at life....in whatever capacity fate was leading us...be that horseback or on high heels.

But then I stumbled upon this post on Instagram, and it breathed life back into me, and my heart, and my pen.

THIS is what Buckaroo Barbie is about and why I started writing in the first place.

Thank you, Kari. Beautiful words and photograph due to Kari Gibbons.

"We'll be looking back, maybe ten years from now, and maybe I'll have a little more figured out.

Maybe I'll be a little less in your way, maybe a little less, "Kari, get behind me!" from your boss.

I promise I'll keep doing my best, because this is the best thing that's ever happened to me."

- Kari Gibbons

Thanks for the inspiration Kari!

xo xo Liz

It's the Heart of the Matter

2015-12-20T09:09:00.000-08:00

Everything will probably not go according to plan this Holiday season, and that’s ok. The kitchen floor might be sticky for the entirety of December, and that’s ok. You might not have made Martha Stewart worthy gifts for all the neighbors, and that’s ok. You and your family might not get along and discuss things of value while wearing matching sweaters, and that’s also ok.

When I was a little girl one Christmas I read a seasonal book targeted at Christian women and it made a huge impression on me. The first chapter included two variations of the same scenario. The first described an idyllic wife, gliding through her custom made farmhouse in a vintage apron, enjoying the smells and sights of her beautiful home and children. Her parents arrive through the front door, bringing with them a red flannel sack full of educational and tasteful toys. At some point towards the end of the scene the woman’s husband goes whizzing past the front door in a horse drawn sleigh.

The second scenario sketches a very different picture, with the same players. The absent minded wife rushes through her home, listening to the grating sounds of her children’s voices and the loathsome Uncle Freddie who is watching football. Whether Uncle Freddie is loathsome because he is watching football or simply because he is loathsome is left to our discretion. The dinner is not on time, food is burnt, and the kitchen floor is a sticky mess from the baking done earlier in the day. Her parents burst through the front door amid chaos and the presents distributed are plastic and cheap, and there are so many of them!

The comparison made a huge impression on me. Obviously. It’s almost 11 bloody years later and any time I hear my mums say something not being spot on,s or something she didn’t do this year, I think of that damn book and I want to burn it. Because you know what? The people who love you remember the spirit of an event, not the magazine-worthy perfection of it. I remember the old Christmas albums of Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney playing in the background. I don’t remember whether the kitchen floor was sticky or clean, but I do remember having a full belly. I remember my mums smiling indulgently at my dad when he did something odd. I don’t remember if our toys were strictly educational, but I do remember that they catered to who we were as little people. I don’t remember my mums ever wearing an apron, but there was always room for unannounced visitors at our table.

The point of all this reminiscing is...I think we get so caught up with the way things are “supposed to be” or the way they’re supposed to appear via Instagram that we forget that the spirit of the matter takes place throughout the whole year, whether you set up a creche with a baby Jesus, use a menorah to keep track of Hanukkah, or gift to the poor during Milad un Nabi. It’s the heart of the matter the other 11 months that counts.

Happy Holidays everyone!

xo xo

Liz

Requisite + Buckaroo Barbie

2015-12-16T18:55:00.001-08:00

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you know that when Requisite (formerly LavenderHaus), asked if I would be brand rep for them, I said YES!! very enthusiastically and all in capitals. Just like that. And what made me so interested in the first place was the ethos behind Requisite, which is one of catering to and dressing driven, outspoken, unconventional, and refined women.

Here's a link to the interview I did with Requisite where we talk about style, failure, and the perfect red lip. I hope you take a look and let us know how YOU define excellence.

The clothes are amazing, beautiful, and high quality. Adrianna, the resident BA behind Requisite, sent me a box of goodies and included in it was this gorgeous Ava's Aztec Cardigan. During finals week I haven't been feeling very pretty or motivated to fix myself up, so being able to throw this cozy beauty on over a Little Black Dress like I'm wearing here, or skinny jeans and boots and still look put together has been a life saver.

And just in case you need a last minute gift in time for Christmas, use the code BRANNAN15 for 15% off when you check out.

Keep up with Requisite on Instagram

and Pinterest

xo xo

Liz

Follow Friday

2015-11-20T19:51:00.002-08:00

I can feel the satisfaction building up deep within my gut where I store all the words….I’ve written all day long despite feeling like I’m fighting off the flu and after a 3-hour nap I am almost feeling Liz-like again.

What are your plans for this evening/weekend? Tonight I’m going to watch the first Mockingjay movie in my coziest sweats and dream of a day in the future where one can simply snap one’s fingers and a pizza will appear.

Have a good weekend and here’s some awesome people/movies/songs/artists oh just things you should check out from around the great big cyber world…but seriously....CHECK THEM OUT.

Grab a box of tissues for this commercial!! IT'S SO GOOD! (What's up with all the caps tonight, btw?)

Any photographers, food stylists, or writers in the house? Check out Acorn Magazine and do yourself a favor and follow their Instagram page as well. Just yum.

Pink Martini fan?? Here's a list of their upcoming shows.....

As someone who really enjoyed the books and is a huge fan of Jennifer Lawrence, I cannot wait to see Mocking Jay Part 2.

THIS rosemary-caramel apple pie recipe is brilliant and as resident pie maker, I'm making this next week. Bam.

Into nail art? Then you definitely need to pay attention to what this lady is doing.

If you're trying to learn a language OTHER than English then I highly recommend downloading this app....

I bought this. You should buy this. Also, follow her on Instagram and be amused by her snarky comments and badass photos. You're welcome.

xo xo Liz

Hello From The Otherside

2015-11-18T17:35:00.001-08:00

Wake up.

Sit up.

Get up.

I know, I know….you don't want to and I didn’t want to either. Do it anyway.

You’ve cried, you’ve grieved, and you’ve sufficiently licked your wounds in the comfort of the darkness of your heart.

You won’t feel as if you’ve sufficiently recovered and at times it will seem as if the entire world and the gods down through all the ages and even those who scream in hell are against you….if you believe in that sort of thing.

Get up anyway.

Wake up.

No, I mean really WAKE UP.

Grieving is necessary. Crying and being sad and destroyed is part of the human psyche and it is important to the healing process or else you’ll wake up 25 years later and have all these issues you didn’t deal with earlier. Which I’ve heard on good authority sucks.

But that time has passed.

Now is the time for you to shake off the blues, or the mean reds if you’re into Audrey Hepburn, and it’s time for you to rejoin the world.

Yes, I agree.

I sound a little harsh. And that’s OK. If you need someone to be cranky with, I am strong enough to be that person. But someone has to care enough to say that NOW is the time for you to rejoin this beautiful, destroying world.

Your story cannot be complete, nor the lives of people around you, if you are sitting on the sidelines, munching on some corn nuts.

YOU HAVE TO PARTICIPATE.

And the terrible, rotten, no-good news is that you will be hurt again. Probably not as deeply as The Great Tragedy that initially hurt you, but you will be hurt again. Because you can’t be a living, breathing, contributing member of the human race and not be equalized on some level by life.

So.

What are you going to do?

Are you going to stay in the same broken down pattern OR... are you going to get back up swinging?

I’m betting on you.

xo xo Liz

Quote of the Week

2015-11-09T22:37:00.001-08:00

We used to have a "Quote of the Week," did we not?

I liked those. And I needed a good bolstering quote today and then I found this and thought that it really ought to be shared here on Buckaroo Barbie.

So.

Even though it is a bit late Monday night, I hope you read this and I hope it inspires you. I hope it comforts you and gives you the "oomph" you need to not just make it through this week, but to knock it out of the park.

You are infinitely stronger and braver than you think.

Happy Monday, Dolls.

"If you're reading this, if there's air in your lungs on this November day, then there is still hope for you. Your story is still going. And maybe some things are true for all of us. Perhaps we all relate to pain. Perhaps we all relate to fear and loss questions. And perhaps we all deserve to be honest, all deserve whatever help we need. Our stories are all so many things: Heavy and light. Beautiful and difficult. Hopeful and uncertain. But our stories aren't unfinished yet. There is still time, for things to heal and change and grow. There is still time to be surprised. We are still going, you and I. We are stories still going." --Jamie Tworkowski

xo xo Liz

And You Let It Go

2015-10-12T17:34:00.000-07:00

Hey.

Remember me?

Ya, I was totally avoiding you guys. I know that isn’t very kosher considering all we’ve been through over the years, but I didn’t know what to say. Or rather, I knew what I wanted to say but I also knew it wasn’t healthy.

If any of you follow Adrian, which I think you all do, you might remember a few months back when she publicly said in a Western Horseman interview that she is both a rape and domestic violence survivor.

Her bravery constantly inspires and blows me away.

But now that she has decided to share her story and be open about that part of her life, now I can be too.

Remember this blog post a few years back? Or this one?

For years I’ve been talking about trying to maintain a positive outlook in life despite the hardships you may face, and I think most people thought I was referring to struggling with chronic Lyme disease. Nah. Lyme’s a walk in the park compared to what my sister went through.

Watching someone you love try to piece their life back together after having been brutally assaulted has to be one of the most powerless, heart wrenching, and soul sucking experiences you can go through without experiencing physical trauma yourself.

You can’t fucking fix it. There’s really nothing you can do except ask yourself over and over again how this happened to her and you didn’t know. How could you not know? How?

And then guilt surrounds you like a thick blanket and you drown in it. And maybe a little gin. Or a lot of gin.

And you watch her struggle and put on a beautiful smile for everyone else and every time someone says something insensitive or makes a rape joke you watch her flinch and internalize it all and you want to wrap her in bubble wrap and fix everything…...but you can’t.

You’re helpless to change the past or the present and you have to watch her learn to navigate her own path to healing.

So you do that, and the thing is through all the ugliness and pain, she emerges strong and beautiful and even more inspiring than before.

I avoided you and Buckaroo Barbie while I was having a fall apart because I would have just spewed a whole bunch of hateful words that would not have been edifying to anyone, and it wasn’t my story to tell.

But.

That being said, I’ve come a long way in the last year towards letting go of some of my bitterness and guilt. And I’ve watched Adrian bravely encourage and uplift and help people by speaking out, so once again I am following her example.

I missed you. We missed you.

Thanks for reading Buckaroo Barbie.

And if there’s any brothers, sisters, or friends of abuse victims that are struggling because of what happened to their loved ones…...I feel ya, dog. And my email is open any time.

xo xo Liz

Summertime Sadness

2015-05-18T13:42:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, I took a final for the first time in years. I gave myself a hiatus from college for a while, and it turned out to be one of the best things I’ve ever done. I returned refreshed, excited…no eager to continue my education and my unofficial grade reflects that: 101.4%. I’m pleased.

Last night Adrian walked around the house chanting the names of artwork, the artists who painted them and the year they were made. Her final is today and I’m afraid that thanks to her preferred learning style, I will now know more about the Cubist era of art than I ever wanted to know.

Garlic and tomatoes and wine are simmering on the stove and the dogs are littered on the floor in front of the fire like a bunch fallen leaves. It’s raining here and our thirsty ground is soaking up the moisture almost as fast as the drops can fall from the sky.

It’s a good day. And it’s good to be back to Buckaroo Barbie. Here’s to a fantastic summer! What are your plans??

xo xo Liz

Listen To Your Heart

2015-02-19T21:03:00.000-08:00

Dear Buckaroo Barbie,

Night has fallen and you find yourself alone. Put down your phone. Turn off your iPad. Lower the volume on that radio. Place your hand over your heart.

Feel that?

Steady. Galloping on without your permission. Alive.

Today may have seen you in your darkest hour. But Doll, you are here and you are cherished.

Stronger than you’ve ever thought.

More capable than you would think.

You have all the tools you need within you. Reach, grasp, dig…make use of them.

This roadblock is just that. A block. Not the end and definitely not defining.

Grieve. Be angry. Be sad. Allow yourself to hurt, and then move on.

You are young of heart. You can choose joy. You can accept the pain and you can choose to not allow it to define you.

You are a thousand times braver than you ever thought you were, Doll. Don’t let the haters get you down.

xo xo Liz

#hegavemelegs

2015-01-13T20:41:00.000-08:00

I dream about him and the heady feeling of movement after being bedridden for so long. He helped save me. Why do cowboys become so attached to certain horses? I can't stop wondering if it's because the nature of our work is so physically dangerous. You don't think about it much, but if your bud gets in a bad way during a branding, gathering, doctoring outside, he...your horse, or you could potentially die, at the least get broke up pretty bad. Maybe never ride again. Is that what creates the bond? Knowing that he trusts you and you're trusting him??? I dunno, I just know that he helped me walk again and I hope the grass is belly deep wherever he is now....thank you Bert. #fatalbert #hegavemelegs

xo xo Liz

Hiding Behind A Smile

2014-12-02T10:45:00.000-08:00

Remember when I used to post almost every day??

Remember when my goal was to be as inspiring, uplifting, and encouraging as possible through a computer screen??

Ya it’s been a while, hasn’t it?

I missed you guys.

The truth is sometimes you have to allow yourself to not be OK. Sometimes the healthiest thing you can do for yourself is to be a mess. To grieve. To wonder and scream and cry “Why????”

So I did just that. Some of you who follow Adrian’s story know that she was in an abusive relationship and hurt very badly as a young girl. She’s just now starting to be able to talk about it and the pain and helplessness of watching the person you love the most in life try to heal and rebuild their lives from the ground up….is just indescribable. It hurts and it causes you (or me at least) to hate almost everything, including myself with a vehemence I didn’t know I had.

We’ve been so close since the moment of her birth. How could I have not realized what was going on and why, why, why was I so blind?

Guilt and anger and sadness became so much a part of my life that I didn’t know how to write about anything other than those feelings. Not exactly the stuff you want to spew on a blog that’s meant to encourage and uplift people.

BUT.

I went ahead and cried. I mean, I really cried. Like all the freaking time. It was obnoxious and I had no control over when or where it would happen. I railed at the heavens and the Heavenly Father that I felt abandoned me and those I loved. And Adrian and I talked and talked and finally started to get to a place of healing in our relationship.

And I took a friend’s advice and instead of “spending” my time, I started investing my time in things and people. I found peace and quiet in hiking and topping out big hills that make my legs and lungs ache. I started climbing and found the welcoming spirit of the climbing community refreshing, to say the least. I quit (yes, I quit something!) the school I hated and found a part-time job instead. I challenged myself to get out more and meet new people and step outside of my comfort zone in a non-cowboy way.

And you know what? I’m soooo glad I took the time to be a mess because it means I’m able to start rebuilding and letting go of all the negativity and sadness and anger that’s been a part of my life for the last 4 years.

So.

There you have it.

We’ve been through enough together since the beginning of the blog, and I received another letter the other day saying how perfect my life is. Guess what? It’s not and it’s OK.

It’s messy and fucking painful and beautiful and full of love.

Hang in there, peeps and take the time to have a complete and utter breakdown if you need to. It might just do you a world of good.

xo xo Liz

A Life of More

2014-11-29T16:34:00.001-08:00

This weekend, decide to be more thankful. More aware. More present. More spontaneous and more gentle. Be more likely to laugh than last week and more courageous. Decide to BE that wonderful, wild, adventurous girl you daydream about in the future....just be her now.

Here's a few pictures, articles, and music that I found around the web this week: enjoy!

I never read stuff like this....but it was actually good! 10 Signs You're Dating A Woman, Not A Girl

REI is having a MAJOR black Friday sale....REI BLACK FRIDAY WEEKEND

I know this is an old video, but I just love her SO MUCH!

xo xo Liz

Sundburnt Lips And Apple Pie

2014-11-27T18:30:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for sunburnt lips that slurp hot tea,

Fingers that ache from use...callouses forming on palms and fingertips.

I am thankful for salty air and the palm trees standing like sentinels around my house and heart.

I am thankful for the fleeing of the words in my brain, because the return of their quiet chanting released the ache in my heart that I didn’t know was there.

I am thankful for the stacks upon stacks of books and notebooks that fill my room and for all of the adventures I will embark upon between their papery pages in the future.

I am thankful for the loaves and pies that take shape beneath my hands and the look upon friend and family’s faces as they feast.

I am thankful for early mornings and late nights because I don’t want to miss another hour of this amazing life I’ve been given a second chance to live.

I am thankful for brutal hikes, the rocks that scrape knee and fingers, and the tangle that is constantly in my hair because I live outside.

I am thankful for this life.

For the rotten-no-good days, and the exhilarating-uplifting-high-flyin days.

Thank you.

Casting Into A Dream

2014-11-10T17:06:00.001-08:00

It was like many early mornings in the past, but instead of driving to the barn to catch ponies, I wore rubber boots and gingerly stepped onto a boat full of men to spend the day fishing for calico bass, sea bass, and fingers crossed, a yellow tail or two.

4 AM on a boat has to be one of my new favorite experiences ever. Darkness envelopes the boat like a cloak, the bait is loaded with silly looking pelicans snapping sardines up whenever they can, and then everyone troops below deck and crams themselves into the tiniest bunks you’ve ever seen. I shivered myself to sleep on the cold vinyl covering, but there may be nothing better than being rocked to sleep as you sail to the islands to fish.

My love has been fly fishing, the beautiful flies, the wading to better pools, and the constant back and forth of my line kissing the water…BUT…this was fun. This was a rush and exhausting and something totally different and I wanted to go again the very next day. I only got one picture, I promise I caught at least 3 more and they make damn good eating too!

How many Buckaroo Barbies do we have that love to fish?? Are you a dyed-in-the-wool river rat or do you find your fun out on the open sea???

We missed all you girls while we were away, hope you're ready to get back to our regular posts! Adrian is FINALLY starting to slowly recover from her horse wreck and life is almost back to normal. Hope you have a wonderful Monday night Dolls!

xo xo Liz

Goblins and Pirates and Dogs, OH MY!!!

2014-10-01T17:39:00.001-07:00

A girlfriend of mine texted me the other day. “Do you think you and Adrian could do a young reader's recommendation post? I can’t remember all of the books you guys suggested for my daughter.” I'd been enthusiastically bombarding my friend with title ideas for her 10 year old daughter, and...Um, yes!! I can’t think of anything we’d rather do than talk about books….unless it’s riding our horses while talking about books. And maybe food and fashion…but that’s fodder for another post!

Adrian and I LOVE to read. My mums read to me when I was very small, I read to Adrian when she was very small, and we all read together as a family out loud. I will always treasure those memories.
And if your children have the ability to read well and enjoy it, they will have the ability to educate themselves throughout adulthood.

Children will not want to read if they're not raised in an environment where books are easily accessible. Do you read? No? Then being sent off to their bedroom or the living room to read is going to feel like a punishment rather than an exciting privilege. If, on the other hand, there are books scattered and stacked about the house and they see you reading for pleasure and the purpose of learning more in your life, they will naturally want to read just like mommy!

Adrian and I read quite a few books that were above our understanding or age bracket growing up, but we were able to follow along because we read them out loud as a family and our parents were able to explain things as we went along.

That's another really good method to monitor what your little takes in without being perceived as controlling; reading out loud together. That way it's pretty easy to skip over parts that are inappropriate for their age at the time.

Just because your little can't talk yet doesn't mean that they can't understand or appreciate you reading to them! So read, read, read to your children, your siblings, and your friends until you just can't read anymore! It will change their life!

Knee Height Or Taller Age Bracket (5 years old and up???)

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

Caddie Woodland by Carol Ryrie Brink

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

The Boxcar Children Series by Gertrude Chandler Warner

The Adventures of Betsy, Tacy, and Tib by Maud Hart Lovelace

The Chronicles of Narnia Series by C.S. Lewis

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald

The Princess and Curdie by George MacDonald

Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates by Mary Mapes Dodge

Mary Poppins by Dr. P. L. Travers

101 Dalmations by Dodie Smith

Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Swiss Family Robinson by Johann D. Wyss

Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards

The Care and Keeping of You by American Girl Co

My Friend Flicka by Mary O’Hara

Jack and Jill by Louisa May Alcott

Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild

The Dear America Series, particularly The Girl Who Chased Away Sorrow, Across the Wide and Lonesome Praire, My Heart Is On the Ground, West to a Land of Plenty, So Far From Home, and A Line in the Sand.

Enjoy!! We'd love to hear which books you end up reading and what you thought of them!

xo xo Liz & Adrian

Sundays Are For...

2014-09-21T11:06:00.000-07:00

Sundays feel like a warm blanket to me. Sleepy and misty skies, rounded curves and big bowls of risotto.

Not like Tuesdays.

Tuesdays are all sharp edges and bologoni sandwiches.

But we don't have to worry about Tuesday yet because it is still Sunday.

Today Adrian and I have loads of homework and laundry to do and it doesn't feel like a chore at all, but rather a privilege because there are too many people who will never know what it feels like to pursue an education and chase after their dreams with the assurance that they have done everything possible to prepare themselves to succeed.

Make lists. Lots of lists of who you are and who you want to be and the things that you want and the things you will accomplish one day.

Drink a huge cup of something hot.

Wash your sheets and stay in your pajamas.

Pet your dogs and go for a run and make something to eat that needs lots of butter.

Have a lovely day!

xo xo Liz

Yellow

2014-09-10T20:18:00.001-07:00

Hey Dolls!

I know it's late to be posting and many of you won't even read this until tomorrow, but I haven't said "hello!" in so long I feel a little lopsided.

When I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off, like I have been lately, I tend to share updates via Instagram and forget everything else! If you're not on there I, 1) Urge you to join, and 2) Here are some pictures from the last few weeks!

Labor Day. BAM.

Loping circles at night is really fun when you have lights.

Pearls & Ponies headbands and hackamores and smelly candles. Yum.

Fresh farm eggs that matched my nails this morning!! So pretty!

What are your plans for the weekend??? Mine will revolve around riding horses, cooking, and celebrating my birthday early with family and close friends. What else could a girl want?

xo xo Liz

September Will Be....

2014-09-02T11:13:00.000-07:00

September will be fantastic. Exhilarating. Terrifying if we do it right…and absolutely brimming with possibilities you maybe didn’t take advantage of during the summer.

Maybe it’s just because it’s my birthday month or we’re programmed to think of the beginning of fall and school as new beginnings, but September always feels like a fresh start to me. A chance to reevaluate, measure where you are and set new goals for your life.

IT IS NEVER TOO LATE.

I don’t care how old you are, sick you feel, depressing your life is, or even if you’re the most unmotivated human in the world…

IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO START AGAIN.

See how I repeated myself? That means there is special emphasis on that particular thought ;)

If you’re not used to dreaming big and reaching for the stars then making goals can be a little intimidating at first. Take a moment and go into a quiet place and shut the door. Really THINK about what you want deep down, all the hopes and dreams and selfish desires that you don’t admit to your best friend, or maybe, even yourself.

Write them down. Every last one. Sometimes I think we secretly believe that we don’t deserve to achieve our biggest dreams. That maybe we’re not good enough or smart enough or skinny enough….it’s all BS. Tell that silly little voice to shush and dream big. Wanting to succeed is not selfish. In fact, I believe it is selfish to NOT try to become as successful as you can be. What a waste, to be a breathing human with talent and allow it to just set there unused like a stale loaf of bread!!

So.

Think of this September as a chance to begin again. To charge full steam ahead and chase after every opportunity that may come your way. Aim high and don’t be afraid to ask for what you want…if you don’t go after your dreams, you’ll never know what you’re capable of achieving.

xo xo Liz

Flying High Above Fear And The Ground

2014-08-29T12:18:00.002-07:00

It had honestly been a long time since I did something that scared the snot out of me. Unless, of course, you count the last time I roped a calf outside with my friend Nicole, who I’m certain doesn’t have a self-preserving bone in her body...but anyway. That's not the point.

You know the kind of challenge where you are so scared you can't breath and you’re certain you will either A) Pass out from fear or B) Throw-up.

Well, I did that earlier this summer, and now I can't stop thinking about the whole experience. It was totally worth it.

The first 3 months I swore up, down, and sideways that I would never get back into a small plane unless I was physically forced, but now...I'm starting to reconsider.

Fear is good for us mortals.

I didn't die. It challenged me. And the view was unbelievably beautiful.

Even if I felt as if the door was going to swing open at any minute and I was going to fall right out...

Uncle asked me if I wanted to fly for awhile...NO THANK YOU!!

Flying with my uncle was an amazing experience. Thank-you so much for being so thoughtful and taking me up Uncle Ron!!! If I promise not to cry, could we go again???

Don't forget to do something occasionally that reminds you that you're human, and that you don't know it all. It's totally worth it, once the initial desire to puke your guts up resides.

For those of you who are curious, this is a 1946 Luscombe.

xo xo Liz

Throwback Thursday | Mishaps & Hidden Traps

2014-08-28T20:56:00.000-07:00

I can’t remember what we were doing that day. All I can remember for sure is that the colors seemed incredibly intense and that it was just Tilly and me and the pack of oddly assorted dogs running along beside us.

That morning Tilly had several Border Collies with her including her main dog Ila, and a little rat dog named Clancey. They took turns running behind their mistress and then darting into the brush to sniff what must have particularly tempting smells.

We had just trotted off a hill and had fallen into single file right next to the fence, and I felt like we had been in a hurry.

All of a sudden a terrible howling, squalling noise erupted from the black and white airborne form of Ila.

Tilly's dog was on the other side of the barbed wire fence and her body was flipping up in the air and all the while she was screaming in a completely non-animal way. Or a very animal way, if you’ve ever listened to an animal in pain.

At first I thought she was losing in a sore manner to something that was quite upset, like a badger attached to her nose, when I realized her front paw was caught in a trap. Tilly and I jumped off our horses, snagged our way through the fence and shoved our way past the rest of the now very concerned pack of dogs milling around their friend.

“If you can hold her, I’ll try and get this off.” I said. I was stronger than Tilly, plus her dog never really liked me.

Tilly latched onto her dog’s collar and as soon as my fingertips touched the trap holding the paw she snapped at me.

I yanked my hand back, cursing under my breath while Tilly wrestled with her dog and got her head locked down beneath her knee, effectively cutting off her air and her ability to bite me...I hoped.

The trap attached to Ila's paw had no teeth, and on the first try I couldn’t get it open. Second try and she was free, skulking through the sagebrush like WE were the ones who had hurt her, not just set her free.

I patted Tilly on the back when her dog continued to run around just fine, no limping or broken bones. We climbed back through the fence and as soon as Tilly’s seat hit the saddle, her horse bucked straight up in the air, very neatly and very hard, about 4 times. Which her horse very rarely did.

“Hang on, Tilly!!” I hollered in what I hoped was an encouraging voice.

And like that it was over.

Reins fixed, chinks settled into back place...we trotted off.

It’s always seemed funny to me how short in real time wrecks usually turn out to be, even though the event itself feels unending. A seemingly still and calm scene is briefly thrown into the sharp relief of colors, sounds, and smells and then all is still yet again. And life continues on.

Kind of funny, isn’t it?

xo xo Liz

Steals, Deals & The Emmy's

2014-08-25T18:29:00.003-07:00

Did you know that this evening the Emmy awards are on?

I would have had no clue but I have been trying to tweet more lately, and since that seems to be the only thing people are tweeting about, I now know. And so do you. You’re welcome.

Anyway, I’m taking a short break from what feels like mountains worth of school and work and watching the Emmy’s. I feel like such a girly-girl!

In light of all the beautiful dresses parading across my television screen, I thought I would share with you Dolls a few online shops that I recently discovered that are simply AMAZING!

Thanks to miss Katey over at Chronicles of Frivolity, I am now the proud owner of an article of clothing with color in it. YES. Color. I normally wear variations of black, white, or more black, so this was a big deal for me. Anyway, go check out ZarahGrace, they have the cutest clothes at the best prices! I snagged this cute top for only $12…how can you pass that up?? Their Instagram page is the best way to stay up-to-date with what they have in stock, and they answer your questions almost immediately!

Next up is Necessary Clothing and their website is to die for! I got a super cute pink top on sale that will go great with cowboy boots or heels and they have fantastic bags and clutches at incredibly reasonable prices. Designer looking bags for $34.99 and $39.99?? Um….yes please and thank-you! Let me know if you get anything from them!

OK…heaven help you gals who were magpies in a past life and are obsessed with sparkly, pretty things because I am going to introduce you to The Bauble Bar. This is again in thanks to miss Katey, or rather it may be her fault for giving me something else to drool after! If you like big statement necklaces, personalized jewelry, and beautiful chandelier earrings…this is the place for you!! I couldn’t resist picking this little piece up...

Follow their Instagram page and make sure if you pick something up you use your 15% off coupon for being a new customer! Oh, and shipping is free.

So far I think Katherine Heigel and Claire Danes are my favorite ladies on the red carpet right now....if you’re watching who is your favorite??

xo xo Liz