Me a Fashion Editor ? ....... Yep

I have had the very fortunate opportunity to write for Equestre Magazine as their fashion editor.  It has been lots of fun and quite an exciting adventure.  In the next few weeks I thought I would share with you my blog family some of my past articles that I have contributed to the magazine.  I am thinking you might enjoy them.


Hang on ~ Here we go! 

Three Things

Whether a rough and tumble real life cowgirl or just a cowgirl at heart I can bet you love to dress up!  Sure you do!

This column lets talk Three Things ~ my favorite three western inspired staples that every girl should own to create a “go to” simple outfit that can be dressed up or down depending on what you have in mind.  These are the items you will need in your clothing tool box to create a smashing look.

• Fabulous Canvas – AKA- “the dress”
• Turquoise ~Silver ~ Leather Jewelry
• Cowboy Boots / Belt

Until the late 1800’s belts were not a common staple amongst westerners. Suspenders were the “go to” that held a mans pants in place. But today western belts have become a major part of western fashion.  Basket weave, concho, horse hair, and leather are all popular materials used for the creation of belts. Do you have one? Why not?  Get one – it’s that simple, you will not regret it. 

Charms, lockets, photos, beads, leather stands, cuffs and wraps with colored stones – bracelets are an expression of the life you lead. I personally love a collective arm party of a watch and then numerous bracelets that mean something to me. Gifts from family and friends, a memento from a special occasion, and vintage inspired pieces are all parts of my personal favorites. I can guarantee that many if not all of you have bracelets that you can pile together to create a fun look and to tell a story of who you are! Need some thoughts on a bracelet mix - I think a mixture of turquoise, leather and silver are perfect go tos for fashionable cowgirls.

I can bet that every one of you owns a dress- right? This is a staple to any wardrobe, print or plain it is the canvas that will start the creation of any outfit.

Let’s have some fun and create a fun outfit that would work just about anywhere!   I am thinking a dress, some fun jewels and our go to staple – the cowboy boot – we talked about that last issue!  Remember?

Let’s start with a base – I have found that my friends at Southern Jewelz have some really great dresses that make a nice canvas for an outfit creation.   Long or short, plain or with a design you pick what mirrors your personality best.  They update their website frequently and you can find all sorts of ideas to create fun outfits. The girls at SJ are the best and really have a fun sense about them.  Browse their website or face book to purchase clothing and accessories. Their website is really visual and fun to look at so it will be a treat to browse. I promise! 

Once you have your dress let’s mix it up with some jewels and a belt.

 My personal favorite is the wrap leather and turquoise bracelet from my dear friends at Classic Leather Design.  How fabulous is this wrap bracelet?

Pair this with some silver bangle bracelets and voila – instant cowgirl chic!  What do you think?   While you are visiting Classic Leather you can take a look at all the other wonderful items. Desk accessories, belts, planners, cuff bracelets, frames, her artistic ability is endless and all of her items make lovely gifts for yourself or friends and family.  Sandy can create custom items just to your liking, just ask. 

Finally complete the look with some tights and your boots or maybe you wish to sport the look with bare legs – your choice.  And for some of you if you are a bit more generous on the bottom half like me- fear not- I tend to get one of these dresses and pair with some leggings and my boots. Or I will opt for a longer dress and rock the boots.  Works just as well with the same look in mind.  Pile on the jewels or go minimal depending on what your end goal is.

And remember in the words of Coco Chanel:

Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street; fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”

No excuses get out there and create something fabulous!  Post your creations on our face book page! Friend us at Equestre Magazine~ would enjoy seeing what masterpieces you have made!

Lets Shop!

Southern Jewlz               

Classic Leather Designs

Wish to follow more fun fashion?  Follow me at thecouturecowgirl.blogspot.com where each Friday we showcase something fabulous – sometimes western inspired and sometimes not, kinda what suits my fancy that day!  Or tune in to www.facesofag.com and listen to Trent Loos and me as we talk a minute or two about fashion each week!  Fun Stuff for sure!

Couture Cowgirl N Company is Born

I saw a quote once and I cant quite remember where it was but it stuck in my brain ~

" Never give up on something you dream about each and every day "

And so - Couture Cowgirl N Company is born !

Couture Cowgirl -n- Co. is a consulting agency with over two decades of combined experience in graphic design and communications. Our focus is centered on promoting individuals and groups who are doing good things for American agriculture.

The agency's unique perspective on, and extensive knowledge of the agriculture industry and the character with which we conduct business has allowed us to maintain lasting relationships with our customers across the country.

Whether working on brand development, website design, preparing speaking engagements (or any of our other services) we strive to provide our customers with a product they will be proud of — one that is creative and results-driven. 

Sara and I are excited for the new adventure and look forward to representing American Farmers and Ranchers !

Find us on Facebook - Couture Cowgirl N Company

Our website will be live very soon ~ we just could not wait to share our exciting news!

Think Outside the Box

This past week two music sensations have literally "popped!"  The Peterson Brothers of Kansas and Scott Shelby of Texas.  These young men have taken their talents and showcased their love of American Agriculture with a whole different twist than you and I might ever think of doing. 


The Peterson Brothers changed a popular pop tune into a farm themed song and played it out in a you-tube video on their farm. Farming, Ranching, Singing, Dancing, Celebrating what they do ! That's it ! That Simple! You can watch their video that is now well over 1.5 million views here Peterson Brothers - I'm Farming and I Grow It  

Scott Shelby has followed his dream by heading to Nashville, Tennessee this past week where his hit WagonWheel is now available on i-tunes!  Scott has taken his passion to numerous venues throughout the United States including national junior cattle shows, state fairs, and private events.  You can find out more about Scott following his dream at www.scottshelby.com  His first official music video Young and Invincible can be seen here 
Young and Invincible.

So whats my point with all of this?  Besides promoting these young men following their passion my point with all of it is they are AGvocating for American Agriculture and might not even know it.  By doing what you love and believing with your whole heart and soul about rural life they are expressing that by thinking outside the box , trying something new and different and fun and in the meantime thousands of us in rural america are following along on their coat tails.  By sharing the you-tubes and i-tunes songs and videos we are sharing in a piece of their dream and really a piece of our own.  To showcase what we love and what so many of us believe in and do each and every day.  How many of us that blog and tweet and facebook on a daily basis have already used these guys as topics for discussion this past week?  I have , I have!! And I am proud of that , proud to be a cheerleader of others doing good for all of us! 


Support those that support us - check them out - enjoy - have fun and when you decide that its high time that you start AGvocating get out there and do it - Just be YOU , be YOURSELF, showcase your God-given talents and get after it !  


American Agriculture needs ALL of us !  YOU have a special way to showcase what you do - Just Do It - Its that simple.


Best Wishes Boys - Proud of you for following your passion- the world needs more of you !
I for one am a crazed fan :) 

Bottom Line ~ Passion is Key

This week I had the grand opportunity to travel to the land of beautiful people ~ Hollywood, California for the US Farmers and Ranchers Alliance Food Dialogues.  Though a Californian all of my life I had never had the chance to venture south to Hollywood and quite honestly it was a nice place to experience but love my ranch life just a wee bit more ~ actually a lot more.  Nonetheless I am so very appreciative to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association www.beef.org  for inviting me as their guest. 

I was fortunate enough to listen to two panels, one discussing pop culture and their connect to agriculture and then a tour of a Hollywood urban farm. Both were really well done and the panel members were unique to various different areas of expertise.   Organic walnut grower, sustainable food systems advisor, a farmer, a rancher, celebrity chef, television director and producer, and a professor of ag communications were just a sampling of those that contributed to the day’s discussion.

I can probably go into in depth analysis of what each had to say but what I thought was truly important was the bottom line that at the end of the day what did everyone have in common?  A passion!  I am a firm proponent of passion and following your bliss.  Each and every one of these folks were committed to their specific industry and savvy enough to truly listen to each other, try to understand each other and converse with each other.  That is what it is all about as far as I am concerned.  If we can engage in conversations with all corners of beliefs we can share our stories, we can experience each other, we can get a taste of the heart and soul of what each person brings to the table.

I was proud of our ag folks that represented all of us for I believe they truly brought a face to what agriculture is all about, farming and ranching is real, it is who we are, it is not computer generated, it is people getting after it each and every day and I think that those not directly involved in agriculture learned that on this special day.  As many of these folks I am committed to learning all I can about all thoughts on our industry, eager to engage and share and let my ag story tell itself through my passion and experiences.  

I think Jeff Fowle (farmer/rancher/my friend) said it best ~ we don’t resist change, we resist being changed.  I thought of that for a long while and it is so very true.  I think more and more farmers and ranchers are open to getting the conversation going , trying to understand what needs to be done yet keeping to their values and who they are at their core but possibly tweaking a bit and making a change to make it all work for the good of the industry as a whole. What we don’t like is someone telling us we must change; we want to make that decision on our own.

Some might think I am an ultra optimist ~ I believe in the future of agriculture and the future of you and I, I believe in what we are doing to get the conversations going.  I am afraid the days of keeping to ourselves is over , for us to be successful in agriculture we must make the effort to share, to converse, to open up about what we do , who we are, why it is important to us.  I am a firm believer that if you speak from the heart and share who you are and maybe yes even  letting yourself be a bit vulnerable who  can tell you that you are wrong?  WE are doing good things , WE as an industry are making good strides, I believe that though at times we get frustrated with all that is handed to us each and every day we must find balance with it all. Together we can sort through it  and make a difference.  I am optimistic , we have to be if we are gonna get it done !

Thank You NCBA for the work you do on behalf of cattle ranchers nationwide, thank you for the opportunity to be a part of you for a day ~ I truly enjoyed it all !

The United States Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) is a newly formed alliance consisting of a wide range of prominent farmer and rancher led organizations and agriculture partners.  This marks the first time agriculture groups at the national, regional and state levels have collaborated to lead the dialogue and answer Americans’ questions about how we raise our food ~ while being stewards of the environment , responsibly caring for our animals and maintaining strong businesses and communities. 

I encourage you to check them out at www.usfraonline.org or www.fooddialogues.com

Getting Back to Family ~ Guest Post from Trent Loos

Today we are going to take a break from fashion to talk about one of my other loves – FAMILY

I have had the grand opportunity to meet a lot of folks in this industry who have made an impact on me  – Trent and Kelli Loos and their three girls Libbi, Lindsi and Landri are the epitome of a family unit. I was lucky enough to spend a week with them last summer and I fell in love with their way of life in Nebraska .  They are all that is good….. simple, hard working, committed to the betterment and future of our industry.  Trent writes for the High Plains Journal, you can find him here at www.hpj.com .

I felt so strongly about his most recent article that I asked if I could use it as a guest post today – and he obliged. So sit back and take a gander at this one – its good !!!  For I believe that with the love and commitment of family everything is possible ! Someday I hope to venture out and check out the Hutterite way of life , not sure I will need to worry about packing all of my “fashion stuff” but I know for one thing that I will come away with a different appreciation of what is real and true in the world.  Thanks Trent and Kelli for opening your home to me and introducing me to your lovely way of life – You are the real deal ! 

~For sometimes keeping things simple will get us where we need to go in the future ~

 

Today is same as yesterday on a colony By Trent Loos

There is no question that our society is ever-changing and after my last week's trip north of the border to Starbuck, Manitoba, I am reminded that not all of our changes are for the better. I spent two tremendous days with a couple of Hutterite colonies near Starbuck, mostly the Starlite Colony. If you are not familiar with the colony structure, simplified it is basically 100 people living together that operate as a large family farm.

"Good night, John-Boy." Does that bring back memories for you? Even though the Hutterites do not live under one roof, it brought back the whole concept to me of the way life used to be in the United States. Three generations living under one roof, each gaining and learning and leaning on the other. What happened to those days?

A new study from the University of Illinois says that over a 10-year period 8.3 million seniors (about 14 percent) in the United States face the threat of hunger. From 2001 to 2010, the number of seniors experiencing the threat of hunger increased by 78 percent, according to the study. Since the onset of the recession in 2007 to 2010, the number of seniors experiencing the threat of hunger increased by 34 percent.

In fact, the numbers say that one in seven seniors face the threat of hunger.

I don't need to tell anybody about the decline in the economic conditions outside of the farm economy in the past three years. If you truly look at the big picture, isn't the issue that we have ventured too far from the core of how we are meant to survive--by having our family members close in a time of need?

In fact, it just hit me that even my cows tend to hang in cow family units. Ironic, isn't it, that the animal that survives with basic instincts rather than social pressures still clings to the concept of a family unit.

With all of the statistics and numbers that I can throw at you, this one hits me the hardest.

In 1965, 93 percent of all American births were to women with marriage licenses. Over the next few decades, the percentage of babies without a father has risen steadily. As of 1970, 11 percent of births were to unmarried mothers; by 1990, that number had risen to 28 percent. Today, 41 percent of all births are to unmarried women. And for mothers under 30, that rate is 53 percent.

We all know that what we grow up with tends to be what we accept as the norm. So while I am romanticizing the Waltons, nearly half of the kids born today don't even have the benefit of a father and a mother under the same roof.

You would think that this election year, where the rhetoric flows freely about how to improve life in America, that at least one person would latch on and say: "The problem we have today is that we have ventured too far from the family unit. We need to get back to the family unit and most of our perceived problems will go away."

Nope. Instead we discuss and propose such things as gay marriage being the norm. Look at the poor developing nations where survival from one day to the next is top of mind, they still have strong family units. I suppose that a fair number of you are shouting, "Trent, the Bible says that wealth is the destruction of what is really important."

So back to where I started with the fact that we all need reminders about what is truly important in life. I, for one, am thankful we still have folks like the good families on the Hutterite colonies in Canada and United States that have not veered one bit from centering on God and family for the future as well as our past. Perhaps if we all return to that value system, we can help restore the strength and stability of our great nation.

Eager to find out more about Trent Loos – check him out !!!!

Editor's note: Trent Loos is a sixth generation United States farmer, host of the daily radio show, Loos Tales, and founder of Faces of Agriculture, a non-profit organization putting the human element back into the production of food. Get more information atwww.FacesOfAg.com, or email Trent at trent@loostales.com.

Date: 6/11/2012

You've Got a Friend in Me

I have been blessed in life with a swarm of friends !  Since I have a small family my friends have become an extension of my bigger circle.  They mean the world to me and I think it is very important to tend to them properly.  So today I thought why not mix it up a bit and jot down a few tips on what I think is an outline for being a good friend.  With the help of “How To Live Like a Lady” by Sarah Tomczak I have created a list:  ( because being ultra-anal I like lists)

Tips on Being a Good Friend

• Phone when you say you will
• Always remember their birthday
• Don’t tell their secrets
• Don’t be judgmental
• Always be a shoulder to cry on or a place of celebration
• Return what you borrow, cleaned and in good condition
• Don’t gossip about a friend behind their back
• Let them sleep on your sofa if they miss their flight, the train, has a fight with their spouse or too tipsy to drive home
• Don’t comment on their weight unless of course they ask you
• Don’t copy a girlfriends style – create your own
• Help with job applications, moving to a new home and planning their kids birthdays

What are your tips to being a good friend?  Lets share them!!

My friends are a blessing in my life~ not sure what I’d do without them !

I love you more and cherish you more than you will ever know !

Cheers to each and every one of you !

Thank you for adding that special sparkle to my life!

My Friend is a Vegetarian

Social Media has given me the opportunity to meet lots and lots of amazing people ! Gayle Anderson from Idaho is one of them.  I had the chance to meet Gayle last November as she and I both had the unique experience to speak to the delegates of the Executive Women in Agribusiness Conference in downtown Chicago.  I got to know Gayle that week and really enjoyed her excitement for farmers and ranchers, her commitment to industry and her love of family.  I went away from that conference with a new friend.

Throughout the year Gayle and I have chatted back and forth on social media and kept the connection we made in the "windy city."  However it was not until today that I came to find out ...

Gayle is a VEGETARIAN!

My initial thought when reading her blog today was ~ WOW !!! REALLY???  Was she pulling some sort of  prank on all of us and then in the end was some secret message?  NOPE!  The only message that I took from her blog was this ~ That Gayle Anderson supports Animal Agriculture, That Gayle Anderson believes in my families way of life, cattle ranching.  That Gayle Anderson is a true, blue, honest farmer!  A young woman not afraid to hide her preferences in food choices - because that is what it is a food choice, a taste choice, what makes her tummy feel good.  Meat just doesn't fit the bill for her but it does not mean she doesn't support what I do each and every day.


I have a new impression of Vegetarians, they are not bad people, in this instance, a good friend, a fellow farmer, and someone who if you ask me maybe is a better spokesperson for the Beef industry than many of us who eat burgers, steaks and ribs !!!  As we know there are those out there who wish to end animal agriculture and believe the world should be meat free but then there are those who maybe just dont like the taste or for some medical reason cannot eat animal protein ~ start the conversations, make friends, and most importantly as we are learning more and more within Agvocacy cirlces - LISTEN.  You might just be surprised in what you hear and learn.


My hat is off to Gayle ~ Thank you for being someone I can learn from in telling my AG story just a bit better.  For helping me to be more open to new ideas and for making me aware.


To continue to follow Gayle and her blog check out http://www.idahofarmwife.net/


~~~~~~~~~~~~  And here is Gayle's Story , Enjoy!!!!

I’m a vegetarian who supports the animal Ag industry 110%!  Just because I don’t eat meat, doesn’t mean that I want to force my food choices on everyone else, but that is not the case with others, so please read on.  But first, let me share that I’ve been a vegetarian all my life and it’s not because of any certain beliefs or convictions, I just don’t like meat.  As my mom tells the story, I quit drinking milk at 4 months old and later refused to eat any kind of meat.  After many trips to the doctor to see what was wrong with me, she finally let me eat what I wanted.   Frankly being a vegetarian is a pain in the you-know-what, but it is just the way I am. Being a non-meat eater has its challenges, like when packing my very first lunch for  Farmer Joe (as a new farm-wife) and wanting to be sweet, I made a tuna-fish and bologna sandwich (yes together) as I thought they are both disgusting so I’m sure they go together…. Well that was the wrong assumption!  =)  And it was the very first day of harvest too, oops poor guy.   However, I've since improved my culinary skills as my family loves their beef, (T-bone steaks in particular), pork and poultry. So now that I’ve bared my soul and shared an embarrassing story on myself, you are probably wondering why am I telling you this?  Well this blog is about the freedom of choice and the important goal to preserve this right.   Whether or not you are aware, there is a real threat to your freedom of choice on what you put on your dinner table if your meals are centered around meat.    Anytime one sector of Ag is affected, there is a trickle down effect on the rest of Agriculture, so this vegetarian wants to speak out on behalf of the animal Ag sector. My spoiled pooch Let me say it takes a special person to raise animals and long before I wed my farmer, the farm had a hog operation.  Farmer Joe said during his years caring for the pigs that "there is always something that needed feeding, doctoring, tending, cleaning or fixing and was a 24/7 job- lots and lots of work". We have tremendous respect for all animal producers, but our consumers need to remember, these animals are being raised for "harvest", they are fed and treated well - but they are a crop, they are NOT a pet like your Fluffy or Spot. And that may be why consumers let themselves be swayed to vote in animal cruelty laws because we all love our pets and only want the best for them (my spoiled pooch included) but livestock animals and pets are in different categories. As with many farmers and ranchers, the care of animals is learned early as young children, either with chores on the farm or being in 4H and FFA.  Our nephew, Zach shows you what I am talking about.  He and a couple of buddies grind their own feed for their animals and do all the chores that involve taking care of their animals. We hope that Zach will one day want to farm with his dad (Farmer Jay) and uncle Farmer Joe - but for now our young pig farmer is happy to share what he knows and is learning about the proper care of animals: So as the official election season is upon us, there mostly likely will be petitions to get animal cruelty laws enacted.  From what I have observed even if petitions or laws have vague language that appears to be targeted towards stopping cruelty to domestic animals, and unless expressly stated, it tends to also cover animal agriculture and then that is bad news for you and me. A movement is well underway by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the uninformed consumer is being duped into helping them with their goal to make meat so expensive that people cannot afford to put it on their dinner table.  This organization works behind the scenes to get the consumer to vote for legislation that negatively impacts agriculture.   Can you imagine the Thanksgiving holiday without a turkey or Easter without a ham?   Many believe that HSUS is the parent organization for all humane societies, but that is not true.  Here is a video based upon real facts and legislation that has been passed in many states.  Idaho appears to be one of their next targets to enact legislation under the guise of "animal cruelty" laws and there was a direct quote from HSUS that said they would be funding a "multimillion dollar ballot initiative and hire paid staff to gather signatures".  As I said before, whether it is crops or animals, they are a farmer's paycheck, so we make sure to take care of our paycheck as best we can.  I believe I can truthfully say that 99.99% of farmers and ranchers treat their animals with care, respect and humanely. We do not like to see animal abuse anymore than anyone else does, but we concede there are a few bad apples out there as in any organization and we are aware that when an abuse surfaces, that it give Agriculture a black eye.  We personally know many ranchers and they take pride in their operations and well being of their animals.  For instance,  cows will be taken to the mountains during the summer, because it is cooler for them and in the Fall they will be rounded up.  Often times ranchers in this area will also move their cows to a lower elevation to winter them as the temperature is milder and easier on the cows. So where does H$U$ get  money  from? Well watch the video and read on..... HSUS Revealed This is a direct quote from Humane Watch, "HSUS puts some serious money every year into pension plans for its executives. Since 2004 (when “Humane Wayne” Pacelle took over), the HSUS pension slush fund has grown by more than $8.5 million. Instead of helping dogs and cats in pet shelters, that money will be fattening the wallets of HSUS big shots after they retire."  To read more check out, HumaneWatch, a website created to report on the abuses of HSUS. What to do?  If you donate to HSUS then STOP, give the money to your local humane society where the money will go directly to helping animals.  Then think very carefully on what kinds of ballot measures you are signing, think even more carefully on the way you vote when it comes to animal cruelty laws or laws that talk about "animal rights" as those laws, once enacted, create financial difficulty for those farmers and ranchers who are involved in animal agriculture.  If you have questions, please call the State or official organizations for the Beef, Pork, Poultry industry to ask about effects these laws have on their sector and if you still need more information, they could most likely get you in touch with a producer to get their insights and views.  But I can almost guarantee that if you, the consumer call their organization and explain that you are a voter and want to know the real story about proposed legislation or ballots coming up, you will get their attention as our councils are very aware of what is being circulated out there. In conclusion, if people vote without knowing how legislation will affect the Ag industry (and its impact on affordable food) then the results are a lot like my first sandwich making attempt... in that the intent was to do good, but by me lacking the knowledge needed, the end result was disastrous.  So as the election season officially rolls around, be an informed voter and if you feel that protecting your dinner table choice is important, then tell others and better yet - send in a letter to your newspaper editor.   Want to read more about other farmers and ranchers?  If so then I  invite you to check out this site: Farmer Inc, The Real Story . As we are talking about food and you, better check out the step by step recipe for Braided Spaghetti Bread on the Good Farm Eats page... Bread and Spaghetti all rolled into one delicious taste treat As always, a big thank you to reading this blog and so now I'll get off my soapbox as I need to get this dinner to my friend Cindy for their dinner.  If you have questions then please email me at idahofarmwife@gmail.com or leave a comment.  All my best, Gayle P.S. Farmers Joe & Jay are busy tending the crops and I'll write more about that soon.