Darling honestly...

This is maybe the cutest song I've heard in a while...

 

Wanderlust

A few photos from our most recent adventure in London & Paris... 

Big Ben & Parliament

Westminster Abby - Palm Sunday Mass anyone?

Top of St. Paul's Cathedral

Lovers Lock Bridge, Paris

Notre Dame

the cutest...

The Louvre

Picnic under the Eiffel Tower

and then it started to rain... and we started to run...

Sacré-Cœur Basilica

Montmartre paintings

delicious...

London love

Stay Cool

This pretty much sums it up... 

Oh, and stay cool through the tough times... they can't last forever.

Texas in less than four months. Deep breaths. I hope they're ready for me :)

Rate that...

After a midnight wake up last Thursday from two of my favorite people… followed by a conversation that went from comforting after my rough week, to just plain strange & hysterical… I was told that “Raw Dog Rotaries” (not even a little bit close to Raw Bars to Rodeos, but good effort) was a dumb blog because it lacked the social maturity of “BarStool Sports”. What a weird way to kick me when I’m down, right? Anyways, the conversation went on to a much more positive tone; however, it got me thinking. Since I’ve always been the type of person to use criticism in a constructive fashion, I figured I should heed this wise advice. I was going to copy the "Guess that Ass" game from the beloved BarStool; however, 90% of my followers know this person (gosh, there are so many of you). So here it is folks... Raw Bars to Rodeos’ very first (and potentially very last) “Rate That Ass” post. Please feel free to leave your rating comments below. 

Oh, and to the owner of this backside... thanks for being such a good sport. If you're not, well, I guess this is for the water on the ceiling, the wooden signs in my bed and every time you've gotten me with the "hiding and jumping out of a dark room" game.

Cheers everyone! Happy Weekend!

Sometimes...

Sometimes life is overwhelming. Sometimes I feel like I make all the wrong choices for all the right reasons. Sometimes I work myself up over the smallest things because what's really terrifying me is too much to think about....

And sometimes... I just need a little of this to brighten my crummy mood:

sleepy yawn...

Paris on my mind...

We booked our tickets to Paris! After talking about visiting this city for the last five years, I am finally booked! The ticket is non-refundable, so there's no turning back now. Plus, I think my whole heart would break if these plans fell through again.

At the end of last summer, one of our roommates packed up her life and moved across the Atlantic to my old stompin' grounds: London! After the last few months apart, we realized there was only so much Skype a person can take, and we decided we were due for some actual face time. My list of to-do's once we get there is endless. I miss everything about London: the pubs, the accents, the architecture! To say I'm just excited seems like a gross understatement.    

Most of this trip will take place in England, but in the middle of the week the four of us are hopping the chunnel for a romantic getaway to Paris! Well, it will probably be less about romance and much more about eating all the incredible french food that city has to offer... wandering for hours through the Louvre... spending way too much money - because in my mind Euros are fake (until I see my bank statements)... and most likely frustrating an entire population by our complete ignorance of the French language. The good news is, I hear they really like Americans over there. 

Jokes… looks like I'll be hitting up Google Translate again. 

Cheers for now!

My Saturday Morning Dates...

Over the last few years, Saturdays have become a cherished routine - a date with Parker & my riding trainer that I look forward to after a stressful week at the office.

It isn't always easy to drag my not-such-a-morning-person butt out of bed at 7 am after a late Friday night… but once I’m at the stables, all seems right again. I’ve been riding for the last fifteen years of my life (wow that statement makes me feel old)… so I think part of it may be the nostalgic feeling I get when I see the lesson kids dragging their pony’s around a miniature sized jump course... or practicing their dressage tests before a show. However, I think the biggest part is how it feels to let go of the bustle of the city for a few hours and forget about “real life”.

Parker in the outdoor dressage ring...

I honestly believe everyone needs an escape like this... something that gets their mind off the stress of a job, school, etc. For me, riding is just that – a welcomed interruption to the 8-5 lifestyle that I have so comfortably slipped into since college graduation. When I'm there, I'm not thinking about anything else. I'm focused. I'm relaxed.

Don’t get me wrong, riding has proven to be just as difficult and frustrating as anything else… and I’ve certainly had some terrifying moments in my riding career (as my mother can surely attest to witnessing)… but that’s exactly what makes it worth every second. It's not about the falls or the tears - and believe me there have been many of both over the years - it's the moment when everything just clicks and the movement that has been practiced over and over is finally perfected.

Plus, how could you not love this face...

Clearly the feeling isn't mutual...

I hope everyone has a very happy & relaxing weekend. Cheers for now...