A little bit of QUEEN in all of us!

As time marches on I get more and more excited about my fashion blog!  It has really found its way to fun rural areas of America!  Not only are we blogging about my two loves agriculture and fashion we now have a spot on Rural Route Radio with Trent Loos each Friday ~  Really?  Pinch me ! How fun !  Excited for the opportunities that seem to keep popping up , but enough of that lets talk clothes.

A couple weeks ago after the radio show aired I had one young woman facebook me and ask about Rodeo Queen Fashion.  Now, I was never a rodeo queen but I just love them all , they are all so beautiful and always look so lovely.  The question she posed to me was this, What does a young girl wear to run for rodeo queen in small town rural America?’  So I did some investigating to find out and talked about it today on my radio segment and figured I would visit about it here too!

First of all being a rodeo queen is 90 % self confidence so if you look good in what you are wearing it will shine through!  The most important tips are color and fit of clothes, in style hair, hat shape and makeup.  Monochromatic outfits are good to compete in but if it is not in your budget then it is best to have clothes that fit and compliment you rather than a full matching outfit.

Check out http://www.rodeoroyalty.com/ to check out what other queens are wearing.  Get a feeling for what is in right now.  Big chunky jewelry can really dress up any outfit.  Blue jeans will work , so if you find a cut of jean that fits you well pair with a nice collared shirt and hat and splash that fun jewelry you will be all set.

One tip is that you can find used clothing that might be able to fit what you are looking for.  By doing a search on your computer you might be able to come up with some lovely outfits for minimal cost.  And another thing, there may be a seamstress in your rural community that has a knack for creating some fabulous pieces; it is worth a shot to check it out.

Bottom line you don’t need to spend lots and lots of money~ with a bit of  investigative work on the computer and within your own community you will be able to create something fun and suitable to fit your own unique style !

Cows and Clothes ~ The Making of a Fabulous Weekend !

Its Wednesday and why not talk fashion today? I wont be near a computer on Friday for my normal Fashion Friday segment  because I will be traveling to the beautiful Sonoma Valley to visit with Hereford Friends from around the country. We will be raising our glasses of vino while raising money for young people within the Hereford breed.  Being a past national officer I am honored and excited to be a part of this epic event!!  I am excited to visit with old friends and make some new ones. You can guarantee there will be lots of exciting fashions spotted at the Gala on Saturday night and you can guarantee I will have lots of new things to post following my return.  But in the meantime lets talk Fall Fashion!

Every girl can use a Fall Fashion Cheat Sheet – Thank you San Francisco Chronicle Style Sheet~

The Palette~ Saturated colors and jewel tones. Cobalt blue, plum, purple, magenta, emerald and jade green.  The new neutral is winter white.

The Coat~ Outerwear in bright colors, parkas, ponchos and fur vests.

The Pants~ Wide legs, high waisted trousers (not sure about this one yet) and skinny cigarette pants.

The Jeans~ Colored !

The Blouse~ Bow front (personally not a real fan of this trend either but who knows I might give it a try for that sexy secretary look – hee hee)

The Bag ~ Structured top handle bags in leather with croc or snake print. 

The Shoe~ A pump and coordinating back to the bag.

The Details~ Lace and leather

Hopefully you can take some time to rummage through your closet and see just what you might have in there from seasons past, what is old is new again !

If not , maybe treat yourself to something fun for Fall

Happy Shopping !

Until next time ~

Cheers to you - MOM!!

Mothers are the world to us when we were small...our lives revolved around her. For everything that we need we call mother. To protect us from all perceivable dangers we want her around us. To kiss away our wounds we run to her. And for a warm hug and love we look for her. She is the focal point of our lives, the greatest human being in the world or should we say divinity on earth. Mothers are the greatest blessing God can give us

Cheers to you for the countless hours spent on 4-H projects, making food for the brandings, driving bean truck to the hopper or driving the truck as we stacked hay out of the field, being presidents club president, room mother, 4-H leader, mentor, spiritual advisor, dedicated wife, ranch hand, best cook in the world, housecleaner, 3 meals a day kinda lady, gardener, kid taxi, fair mom, junior cattle advisor, travel partner, tail fluffer (yes years ago when we had to spray and twist tails into a ball my mother was the absolute best !!- kids from far and wide would ask if MOM could help rat a tail – it was quite a talent – really )  teacher, best daughter in law ever, confidant, go the extra mile kinda gal …………………………above and beyond  my very best friend.

Happy Happy Birthday Mom – Thank You, it’s that simple- I never could have found a better one!  So very blessed that Baby Paige has a NONI that will show her all the good in life that you showed John and I

I love you MOM!!!

Mom and I in Italy ~ a trip of a lifetime!!

HEY ! We’ve Got An App for That

Seems like everywhere you turn there is a new phone application popping up for your Smart Phone~ The Fashion World is no different.  You can now download applications that can create personal look books, an option for maps depending on shopping destination, catalog browsing and options to go directly to the designer’s shops.

Shopping has always been a very social experience, its fun, it’s relaxing and now you can shop by phone.

Some suggestions of fun new applications to check out~

• Lookaroo
• Fashion Nomad
• VIZL
• GreenGlamGo
• Catalog Spree

And for those of you that have inquired already ~ NO the couture cowgirl has no intentions of creating her own app – at least not for now ;)

Grab that phone and get after it – there is a whole new world of shopping experience out there!!

Until next week~

Fashion Fades~Style Remains the Same

As we continue to venture down our Fashion for Farm Girls path I think we probably need to back up a bit and maybe start with some basics.  I was so very excited to start this blog about fashion that I jumped right in and started sharing ideas about what was the “in “ item for the season, things I could not live without or the perfect shade of nail polish.

Since I started my blog I now have new followers who actually email me questions!  Can you believe it? So much fun!!  Welcome Aboard fellow fashionistas, we are happy to have you.

So, getting back to my thought for this blog, thinking we need to get back to the basics of style.  What is your fashion style? Yes, everyone has one and if you don’t think you do then do some homework and get one! 

I believe the goal of personal style is to change your look each and every day if you wish but always continue to look like yourself. 

I find myself doing fashion homework all the time. I love to look in magazines and read books on what is the latest and greatest. I recently came across the

Six Ways

to Find Your Style and thought I would share with all of you.  This will help you on your journey to becoming a Fun Fashionable Farm Girl.  Many of you are already fun and farm girls we are just gonna help with the fashion piece of it.

•  Make Tear Sheets – read lots of books and magazines and tear out photos that interest you. Over time you will find there is a pattern to what you like, what is timeless and what is trendy.
• Write Your Own Style History – where does your style come from, I believe mine came from my grandma. She was eclectic and pure fabulousness all in one.  We will blog about her later – stay tuned.
• Try Lots of Looks – Experiment! Try on lots of things to know what works and what doesn’t. 
• Ask Yourself Questions – What flatters you? What fabrics do you love?  What in your closet do you come back to again and again?
• Find Your Style Icon – This is simple, find someone who you emulate and talk to them!
• Make An Effort – Style does not appear on its own, you must make some sort of effort to try.

As said by the famous Italian designer Miuccia Prada~

“People ask me how I can be stylish and elegant, what can I wear?  My only answer is to study, you have to learn! “

I love to study fashion , my fashion bible – I love your style by Amanda Brooks and I can thank her for many of the thoughts that I include on my blogs – Thanks Amanda – you are the best!!

So what is your personal style? What defines you? Excited to be a part of your style journey- it is a constant evolving process, we switch and change but eventually you come to a balance and find the style within you!

(thank you Coco Chanel for inspiring a great title for todays blog)

From Farm to Fabulous in one Afternoon ~

From The Farm to a romantic afternoon or evening wedding , chic and cheap outfit ideas are a must! If you are lucky enough to be on the guest list why not get something fun where you can look chic in the heat yet polished.

I am a personal fan of the “shift” dress.  Shifts are all the rage right now. One  like this (above) looks simple, classic yet special for a wedding or some other event where you have to add a little “oomph” – oh you know what I mean.  Add a fun headband, some strappy sandals and gold bangle bracelets and you are ready to go!  For those located out on the coast (like me)  a wrap of a complimentary color would complete the look too !

Need some ideas for a shift dress - shop Nordstrom.com for some great ideas! 

Until next week~

Clutch Play

What is classic, timeless and less likely to go out of style than any other handbag?

The Clutch!

Some of you might wonder what a clutch is. A clutch looks like a giant wallet, sometimes with a handle sometimes not but easily able to tuck under your arm. They are great to stash credit cards, lip-gloss, your phone and keys – all the necessities in one spot for a quick trip shopping or a night on the town when you don’t want to carry a bulky big bag.

I use a clutch everyday and keep it tucked inside my big tote bag that holds my ipad, journal book for writing down fabu things I see during my day; you never know when a story or blog idea might be right in front of you, and all my other “stuff.”  It makes it so easy to just grab your clutch and your off in case you need to do a quick errand during the day.

Clutches come in all sorts of sizes from flat envelope looking ones to boxy little ones. Leather, fur, faux animal skins, shiny, matte, you name it seems like they have one to fit every personality. 

The clutch, a delicious way to complement your wardrobe!

Until next time~