Carolina International CIC***

Uggghhh the horse show hangover this morning is real... and I didn't even (hardly) ride this weekend!  I cannot stop daydreaming of the G O R G E O U S weather and terrain at the Carolina Horse Park (CHP) combined with almost the entire Olympic Eventing team of past and present.  I've already got nostalgia really badly.  The corporate environment is already crashing my high of happiness from this weekend.  It is so hard being so supremely happy from the combination of fantastic horses, riders, weather, and family for just a few days and then back to reality.  I'm a sad puppy this AM...

Lucky for me all the big dogs of the eventing world loved the Carolina International CIC*** and hopefully will be back next year.  Backtracking a little bit, I've looked forward to this weekend for two years now!  Once a year, all the famous eventers go to CHP for this one event, its free, and right in my backyard.  Two years ago, I was in France when the event happened, and last year it was the same weekend we brought Sienna home, so it was better for me to skip it.  BUT it was worth the wait because this year they bumped up the status of the show to an international level, which meant more sponsors, more vendors, more competitors, everything!  Southern Pines is so horse-friendly so that's part of the reason all the riders liked it, and some are already saying they will go back next year on their social media sites and in interviews.  

Goal for today: don't focus on missing the environment, just try to remember the fun, and focus on the future.  Look below for just a taste of how freaking amazeballs my weekend was!

I mean SERIOUSLY? How gorgeous is CHP?

Boyd Martin and Shamwari 4

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive

Becky Holder and Can't Fire Me

Marilyn Little and RF Smoke on the Water

Phillip Dutton and a very boisterous Mr. Medicott

My fave - Will Coleman III and Conair

Winners of the CIC*** Marilyn Little and RF Demeter

Second Place, Michael Pollard and Ballingowan Pizazz

I mean seriously?  I really need to figure out how to watch these guys more often because they are so freaking spectacular.  The horses are such athletes with so much raw power and energy that the riders somehow can channel into perfection.  They just make the highest level of the sport look effortless.  Its so inspiring to spend an entire weekend around the best of the best on their main horses, and then their youngsters they are bringing along.  Luckily, I only have to wait until August/September to see everyone again at WEG, instead of this time next year.  

In addition to drooling all day on the cross-country course, my mom and I also went to ride this new little mare, Bacarra, she's trying to potentially buy.  While Bacarra is a fatty and out of shape, she is absolutely adorable - great mover, good brain, very attractive.  Since she's not in great shape, I only rode her for like 5 minutes to get a feel for her to tell my mom my thoughts, and then let Mother ride her for a few more minutes before she fatigued.  Maybe soon we will have a new fatty [red headed mare] to add to the family!  It's about time, Dutch-the-country-bumpkin needs a new girlfriend.  Mother and I also had an amazing time eating at our two favorite restuarants in So Pi, Rhett's and Chef Warren's.  I stayed in her new renovated condo for the first time and it was super nice!  I need to post some pictures on here soon because its beautiful, especially compared to the one she was renting before she bought this condo.  

Of course, no blog is complete without Sienna pictures.  She and I had the best one-year anniversary.  We romped around the cross country course (twice), laid in the grass, played, and one of us barked at other dogs (but only a little!).  My ultimate goal in life is to tire out that dog, and it took about 5 hours to get her to a normal energy level.

Sienna and some jumps

Mother really wanted a pic of us with a horse in the background

Look at them!  How cute are they??  

Boyd Martin liked Sienna!  While she was laying here, he walked by, stared at her, and smiled.  

But seriously, that face?  Too cute.

Finally, to round out the weekend, Kyle took me out for pizza, beer, and doughnuts because I was sad my super fun weekend was over and needed a little cheering up.  What a perfect end to a perfect weekend!

Thoughts on Motivation, Jealousy, and Pie

I know I always talk about my personal goals, so here is another one I'm working on.  I really struggle with getting caught up in other people's lives, instead of focusing on my own, and sometimes that results in me being resentful of other people, which is not healthy.  Its also not fair to myself to get caught up in other people's privileges, when A) I am very lucky myself and B) I have the means to elevate myself to their level with enough planning, work, and time.  My current goal is that if I'm going get caught up in other people's lives, I'm going to pay attention to people who inspire me in positive manner.

Two people who I strive to emulate are Drew, the guy who owns Billionaires Apparel, whom Kyle works for on the side, and this girl Erin, who I've only met like once, but she rides and blogs a lot.   Drew is a really great inspiration, because not only is he a super nice guy who doesn't wish ill of anyone, but he works probably 18 hours a day trying to make two businesses succeed, while balancing a newborn baby at the same time.  With Billionaires, he's garnered almost 20,000 Facebook likes in just over 3 years by working hard, being a nice guy, having a good product, and just staying on top of everything.  While I'm sure Drew always thinks there is room for improvement, I am thoroughly impressed with all he's done so far.

Erin is a super successful horseback rider, but also just a really nice person that doesn't talk ill of other people, and is not cocky despite having some of the nicest horses in the country and winning at major shows. It is so refreshing to see that in the horse world, because soooo many people (myself included) get caught up in the drama and she does not.  Not only does her blog (http://erinmariemcg.tumblr.com/) talk about her wins and her super fancy horses, but she tries to answer people's questions, no matter how repetitive or random they may be.  If people try to start drama on there, she shuts them down.

People like Drew and Erin make me strive to work for my own success, because at heart I'm lazy and like to sleep, etc.  But I can't expect to do as well as them, or as well as I want, if I'm not willing to put in the work.  It is a struggle every day to be productive when I'm tired or unmotivated, but that's something I'm learning to push through.  Its a necessity, and so therefore I have to work to achieve.

I need to refer to some more quotes from Pinterest in my life:

•  "Things you take for granted, someone else is praying for"
• "Let no man pull you low enough to hate him"
• "Cultivate the habit of being grateful"
• "Don't ever worry about people who don't worry about you"
• "Jealousy is when you count someone else's blessings instead of your own"
• "Worry is a misuse of your imagination"
• "Don't compare your Chapter 1 to someone else's Chapter 20"
• "Create a life that feels good on the inside, not one that just looks good on the outside"
• "The grass is greener where you water it"

Sometimes I wonder if I have my hands in too many pies at once.  I know I am not the busiest person out there by far, but I don't just think about one thing at a time, I think about all things at all times.  Can't you tell by all these "personal goals" I'm working towards at any given time?  I've always been this way and have dealt with it well in that I always got everything done.  I really need to work on prioritizing and working on one thing at a time.  I don't know if that will happen though, thinking about everything at once keeps things exciting for me.  I hope all that made sense - I've been working on this blog for 3 days now, and its been a bit of a challenge to put abstract thoughts and feelings into words!

perfection not required

So, for those of you who haven't seen me coughing up a lung recently, I've been super sick for over 2 weeks now with a nasty upper respiratory infection that is apparently going around.  Last week, it got even worse and I was so sick I couldn't speak without coughing, along with other cold symptoms, like sore throat, achy, and unable to really think straight.  I did not go to work Wednesday or Thursday, and went to work for a solid 45 minutes before being sent home on Friday.  While I really hated using half my sick days in one week, it did give me ample time to snuggle on the couch and in bed with my #1 black and tan wild child, which was heaven for both of us.  While laying on the couch (between episodes of my 3 day long Doctor Who marathon) I thought a lot about what a good dog Sienna is, and how she is worth all the effort, money, and training I did in the past year, and continue to do now.

She was so bad before we sent her to get training that I nearly sent her back to the rescue.  The main reason I didn't was because I didn't want her to go back to that god-awful compound where they wouldn't work on her problems, and wouldn't work the find the cause of her allergies (which I didn't know the root of at that time).  Sidenote - the allergies are under control, and she is earning her keep through a trial at NCSU CVM - I'm about to get 6 months free food and $200 credit to the vet school thanks to her.  Basically she was in a study to test 2 new foods for dogs that are allergic to chicken, but not allergic to corn, and if they did not cause the allergies to flame up, I get the above benefits.  She was a super star and did not itch at all, and gave us more opportunities to see our fave vet Petra over in dermotology at State.  I really cannot sing their praises enough because everything they've told me has been spot on, has worked, and I really do adore Sienna's vet there.

I think now, how not sending her back was one of the best decisions I've ever made.  She is an AMAZING dog - brave, sweet, extremely intelligent, loves people, funny.  She acts like such a puppy some days; she makes me laugh.  The list goes on and on.  Her only issue is the dog aggression, which continues to pose minor inconveniences because it requires monitoring her at all times when she's out and about, but even then, it's just until she introduces herself to the other dog, and then she's good (and wants to play!).

I guess the moral of this story is that in the past year (one year on March 22!!) Sienna taught me that some things are worth working for. They are not always cheap.  They do not have an instant fix.  And when they are fixed, you have to work to make sure things stay stable so they do not fall back into a state of disrepair.  Who would've thought a little black dog would've taught me such an important life lesson?  Its a great one to know, and I for one am thankful that Sienna did not give up on me.  

Quick Southern Retreat

This past weekend, the fam had a blast!  It is Louise's last spring break, so she and my mom made plans to go to Charleston for a few days, and asked Kyle and I to join them!  We drove down Friday night, and came back Sunday afternoon, but despite the brevity of the trip, we had a great time.

Of course, yall know my favorite activity is eating, so it should be no surprise that my favorite part of the trip was the eight minute walk to Black Tap, a coffee shop I found on Yelp, which was just perfect.  In some ways it reminded me of Fairview in Montpellier, in that each drink was perfectly crafted (and took 15 minutes to do so) and the shop was filled with friends and families alike, as well as your book-reading, laptop-using coffee shop staples.  It was different in that it was open, airy, filled with light, and scattered with beautiful thick wood tables.  I think, like Fairview, they pumped some good oxygen into the building because I was supremely happy spending an hour or so Saturday and Sunday morning in its small walls with my mom and Kyle.  Not to mention they had a lavender latte, which was more like an herb, than sweet, but I love anything lavender, so I was smitten.

In addition to all the good food (Charleston Grill omgggg) and drinks, my other favorite part of the trip was looking at all the beautiful houses and daydreaming about my house one day.  I seriously think more about my future house than I do the wedding.  Like I know the wedding will be beautiful and lots of fun,  but I also can't wait to make a home with Kyle and Sienna.  Here are some of my favorite houses.

Finally,  I loved spending time this weekend with my mom, Kyle, and Louise.  We don't often go on trips all together, so it was fun to have a mini family vacation.  I'm all about having everyone I love at my fingertips.  Sometimes with all of them in short periods of time I will forget things I've been meaning to talk about with them, so I like being around them for several days so my old lady brain has ample time to remember everything.  Even Kyle, whom I see everyday, I forget to tell things to because we are both extremely busy people.  I guess you could call the fam vaycay, "quality time" that sometimes I seem to lack in everyday life.

Here are some more random pictures from Charleston:

baby french sandwiches (part 2)

I did it!  I was extremely determined to make the macarons, and also a little lot obsessed, so there was no time to waste!  With help from my sorority sister Rachel, who coached me through it, they were a great success!  Actually they were not too difficult, just very labor and time intensive.  But so worth it!  However, I can feel my teeth decaying as I type this.  Those delectable little sammies are 80% sugar, 10% almond flour, and 10% egg.  No wonder I like them so much - I have a mouth full of sweet teeth.  I've tried to eat really healthy for the last year or so with just meats, fruits, and veggies as much as possible (trying to keep the processed food to a minimum) but sometimes its no fun - I just need macarons galore!  I also have been sick since Saturday and fell off Leo on Sunday when he spooked at a dog (I'm okay) so I think I deserve some beautiful treats.  I feel like the evil doctor - now that I have the power and knowledge to make the macarons, I will conquer the world (aka make them every weekend)!!!!

Vanilla macaron/chocolate ganache

Vanilla macaron/vanilla buttercream

Chocolate macaron/vanilla buttercream

As an added bonus, I put the leftover ganache in the refrigerator and it turned into a mousse!  Hot damn!

The main things I need to work on next time is getting the beautiful, ruffly "feet" on the cookie part of the macaron, and also making more perfect circles.  The vanilla cookies got little feet, which you can see in the first and fifth photos, but the chocolate ones did not, for some reason, even though we made them the exact same way.

Finally, if you'd like to check out macarons I want to attempt in the weekends to come, check out my Macarons to Try board on Pinterest!

**Its hard talking in active voice all the time - as a side note.  I know things aren't perfect in here, but they sort of sound awkward not in the passive voice?  Grammar nazi is a lil stumped....**

baby french sandwiches (part 1)

I decided my {amateur} cooking career has reached a point where I am ready to try to make macarons (again, not to be confused with macaroons - see image below).  Macarons can be somewhat temperamental to make because of the meringue, folding in the almond flour just so, and getting the perfect little feet on the cookie part of the sandwich.  However, I am planning a great dinner for my and Kyle's anniversary (never mind that its in June...) and I need ample time to practice and find the most awesome recipes.  Plus these delectable little French sandwiches are two dollars each and I can't afford to go eat ten at a time.   So now I have to learn to make them.  Stay tuned for results...

thanks Google!

As a side note for personal development as your resident grammar nazi, I am trying to learn to type and speak in the active voice.  People at work officially pushed me over the edge saying "I saw you had signed up for ___________," instead of, "I saw you signed up for ____________."  It doesn't seem that hard to eliminate unnecessary words to make more powerful sentences, but as any habit, it is going to require some effort to break.  Feel free to call me out if I lapse, forget, and fall into the passive voice.

Because I am incapable of posting a blog post without a picture (or twelve) of the black and tan child, here she is with her new rope toy.

I'm sorry the pictures are not entirely in focus.  It is hard to focus on a mostly black dog (who never stops moving) in a poorly lit old house at night.

PS goooo me! I posted two times this week!

i hate snow

I really hated this week.  Why?  Because it snowed again.  Snow in North Carolina is the most annoying phenomena because everything shuts down, everyone freaks out, and it is just ridiculous.  I suspected Wednesday would be bad because we had a forecast for an ice storm, but it was not the ice that made this week miserable - it was the traffic.  It started to snow Wednesday around noon and ALL of Research Triangle Park decided it was time to go home before the roads got bad.  Enter flashbacks of 2005 or 2006 when the entire city was gridlocked for hours and hours.  Traffic was horrible.  It took me an hour and a half to go two miles.  The terrible road conditions and stop-and-go traffic caused me to cross three lanes of traffic at one point in my little Taco, that already slides in just rain.  I have never been so afraid in my whole life!  Obviously when I almost wrecked I thought I was going to wreck and maybe be hurt, but extremely luckily, the people on the other side of the road were able to get out of my way.  But other than that I was afraid of wrecking again, afraid I'd run out of gas before getting home, afraid my car would get stuck, afraid it would take me hours to get home.... enter panic attack.  I really tried being calm, but it is hard when you are boxed in on all sides with traffic that is not moving.  I also freaked out because on Google Maps it shows what traffic conditions are like, and I remember from the day it took me an hour and a half to get to work (that day was also fun - gotta love RTP traffic) that when it is blood-red it basically means traffic is not moving at all.  All of Raleigh was blood-red, and I had another 9 miles or so to go when my mom and I decided it would be best for me to stay in a hotel for the night.  I was such a ball of nerves, and it was questionable as to whether or not I would get home in even 5 more hours (it took STG 2.5 hours to go from the vet school to Cameron Village!), that it was the best option at the time.  I was so anxious, that it took me hours to calm down after being in the car with all the traffic and snow.  Kyle got home in about 2 hours, which was one source of anxiety, so once he got home I relaxed a little more, but worrying about getting my car out and getting home the next day continued to worry me for a while longer.  Anyway, the moral of the story is that now that I don't get snow days for school, I'd be perfectly happy if I never saw snow again.  It just messes up everything!!  

Here are some pictures from the only one in the family who does love snow, no matter what (she's chasing snowballs in all the pictures except the first).

this one cracks me up every time ^