Beauty Swap

Hello Gorgeous!

I am sad that it has took me this long to return to the blogging world, but at least by participating in the Beauty Swap with Crystal of Crystal Cattle and Courtney of Cowgirl Crush made me get back to writing. 

I missed out on the first Beauty Swap Crystal hosted, and was almost too late to the game this time until Nicole over at Farmgirl Chaos was a little behind to. She said, "Why don't we just switch?" Nicole has intrigued me for quite some time, and I have been following her blog plus became Instagram and Facebook friends with her. Isn't social media great? 

I must say that this Beauty Swap couldn't have come at a better time. I am eight months preggo, and have recently been visiting the labor and delivery floor for some blood pressure issues. Last week was quite the awful week for my husband and I, but I came home from the hospital to find a pretty little beauty swap package on my doorstep! Just what this un-showered, nasty feeling hospital visitor could use. 

I love that most of the items she sent me are travel size. Before bed rest I travelled a lot, but now my travel bag to the hospital will be complete with these goodies that Nicole sent me. I am also really intrigued by the little envelope from Young Living she sent me. It is lavender scented (which is my fav!) and the card suggested that I put a drop in my mascara.  I have also wanted to try Bliss products for awhile, but never have dived in, but this body wash/bubble bath will be perfect for this little momma to be. And turquoise! What a surprise! Who doesn't love turquoise!?

Includes: Bliss Soapy Suds, Burt's Bees Facial Towelettes, Forever Red Perfume, Young Living Oils, Victoria Emerson Wrap Bracelet, and CANDY!

Thanks Nicole for making my week! 

Keeping up with the Hatmakers {2012 Version)

If you are a regular reader (thank you!) you might remember back in 2011 when I started a Travel Journal. Since we are on the road so much, I thought it would be fun to document where we stay, where we ate, and just how long we were gone.

Take a moment and look back at our 2011 in review of Keeping up with the Hatmakers so you will be ready to compare and contrast the numbers in 2012. I was quite surprised by the numbers in 2011. Not sure why - I was gone for all of them, but its really different when you see EXACTLY what the it says. The numbers don't lie! Neither does my dry cleaning bill. :)

drum roll please........

Geesh!

2012 Totals: 
Nights in hotel: 130
Hotels: 49
Restaurants: 251
  This did not include any meals that were furnished to us by sales, owners, state associations, or friends who felt sorry for us eating out all the time.

After I added up all the numbers I thought I would look back in 2012 and see what were the highlights and some of the reasons our numbers jumped so much! 

1. As usual, the National Western and the North American add a lot of nights and meals to the list. 

2. We went on a real vacation during the summer and then took a Christmas vacation to Vegas. It's good to focus on a little downtime!

3. We ate at some good places in 2012! 

• Seagar's in Destin, FL
• Spencer's Steakhouse in Omaha, NE
• All Vegas Restaurants!
• Texas de Brazeil in Denver, CO
• McCormick & Schmidts in Columbus, OH
• Smith & Wollensky's in Columbus, OH
• Eskimo Joe's in Stillwater, OK
• Deken Kemme's barn party (food provided by Julie Kemme)

4. Attended Crystal Young's Wedding in Iowa (www.crystalcattle.blogspot.com)

5. Attended Christy Collin's Marketing Seminar in Stillwater

6. Dove more into our photo and video business HImaging. 

Boy as I look back 2012 was a great year! I look forward to trying to top that in 2013! Like I said in my blogpost about 2011, if you travel a lot a travel journal is really fun. It is a great keepsake and a great way to look back at what you've been up to!

Thankful Thursday

Today's Thankful Thursday is kind of different. It is almost a place on being thankful. When asked what most of us are thankful for we could quickly name off a handful of things. Our family, friends, job, opportunities, cattle - it all depends on the person. But when we sit down and think about the things we are thankful for and the things we really pay attention to in our life, are we looking over the life we are living?

I received an e-mail on Tuesday from my friend Crystal (www.crystalcattle.com). Crystal is a dear friend and someone who inspired me to begin blogging. Her e-mail was a link to a blog that she suggest some of her friends read. Since it was from Crystal I thought this had to be good and immediately clicked the link.

At the moment I received her e-mail I was up to my elbows in advertising for October publications. I was stressed. I was running 30 different ways. I was BUSY.

And this I read this. BUSY by Ellen-Bo

I am so guilty of throwing the busy card. I know others who are guilty of it. I know people who let being busy take place of their relationships. I am sure as you read this, you at sometime have been guilty of it too.

I am not saying that tomorrow I am not going to bring out the busy card because it truly takes work to set your priorities straight.

So you might ask, "Why is this the Thankful Thursday post?" Because my friends, I am glad I was shown this blog post. I am thankful I was reminded that being busy isn't truly living life. Let's all be thankful for what is going on around us, not what is drawing us in and causing us not to live.

So go on- don't be too busy.

Sale Day Fashion

I meant to have this posted on Monday, but it has just been one of those weeks thus far. 

My friend Crystal (www.crystalcattle.com) is also showing what she wears to sales, so since I go to a sale every weekend I thought I would document my sale day attire. Looking good on sale day can be just as important as picking out what you wear the first day of school. These days dressing for sale day, where we sell cattle at auction, is more than just your typical western attire. Hair is big as with the jewlz. And of course, the more jewlz the better. Designer jeans, tops, and awesome boots are a must. 

Our sale this past weekend was a beautiful September day. It was sunny and still quite warm, so I decided to wear a sheer top. I have to be able to move around and be comfortable, but of course I want to look cute. 

Top: Gap Outlet / Cami: Lane Bryant / Jeans: Seven by Lane Bryant /
Boots: Luchesse / Necklace: Southern Jewlz / Watch: Michael Kors

Hope you are having a wonderful week!

Thankful Thursday - Mentors

I have been wanting to do a weekly installment for quite sometime now. With my rededication to blogging and trying to do a better job at it, I thought this would be the perfect time. And then one day I came across this photo....



Then it dawned on me. Thankful. I will be the first to admit that sometimes I don't express what I am thankful for enough. But everyday, no matter what happened in your day or what your mood might be, we can find something we are thankful for. Sometimes its something serious and sometimes its something silly or even material. People, places, and even things that make our life a little easier or a little better.

So, for the first installment of Thankful Thursday.... (drum roll, please)

MENTORS

Aside from my wonderful parents, I feel very fortunate to have grown up in an industry that provided me some great mentors to look up to over the years. A few weeks ago, Drew and I had the opportunity to work with and learn from my biggest mentor over the years.



For as long as I can remember I have admired Christy Collins. Her photographs are known for capturing beautiful cattle and ads make a great statement. I always wanted to be just like her. As a young girl, I e-mailed Christy asking her for advice on how to get to where she was. She wrote me back discussing her career path, and her self-taught ways of photography and advertising. I was so appreciative that she took time for a young girl like me. Therefore, when presented the opportunity to attend a cattle marketing seminar featuring her - my bags were packed. As a group of young ladies talked about Christy's career at dinner one evening, you could quickly pick up that she was admired by many. Being a lady in the cattle industry was not always the easiest business to enter. Christy was a pioneer for women to be successful and respected in the cattle industry, and for that we are all forever thankful to her.



Some of you might know that Crystal (Young) Blin and I met at the 2000 Simmental Junior Nationals, but our dads have been friends for quite some time. Crystal has made quite the name for herself when she came to the U.S. to judge, then onto the American Angus Association, and now at SureChamp. Of course, she is quite the successful blogger with Crystal Cattle. Though Crystal is only a few years older than me, I consider her a mentor. If I have questions about blogging or videoing, she is always willing to help out any way she can. Her strong advocacy for the cattle industry and for agriculture are easy to admire. I value her friendship so much on both a personal and professional level.

In today's society many young girls look to celebrities as a mentor. I am lucky that the cattle industry has provided two women who are influential on both my personal life and professional career. No matter who your mentor might be, they will appreciate it if you let them know the significance they have had on your life.

What are you thankful for today?