A Fresh Start

Blazed Babies

2012-02-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

I love going to the farm this time of the year to see all of the baby calves. I was especially excited to see this years calf crop as we are getting a few Elegant Force embryo calves, and we were just hoping to have baldies born. A baldie is an animal who has a blaze on their face. The rest of their body will either be red or black. In this case ours are mainly black, however, there are a few red ones as well.

The baldie marking is really hot right now, as it gives them a bit more eye appeal then just being a solid colour. This marking can get tricky as each one is different. The white can extend past either eyes, just be a spot, and in some cases they will also have white on their bellies or legs. We try and keep the white just on the face, but it is easier said then done.

2 day old heifer

Elegant Force x Joker heifer

Last spring I put in 3 embryos of my own. Unfortunately, I only got 1 pregnancy so I was really hoping that the calf would be something special. The calf is about 2 weeks old now and was a bull calf. He looks awesome, but the coloring was just not quite right....

He looks great from the front

But not so good from the side...

Ideally he would have no white on his tail, or his legs, or on his belly. Unlike his 2 sisters he is just marked a little funny. You will even notice that he has blue eyes. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but he sure is a great calf!

Red Carpet Round-Up: 2012 Grammy Awards Best Dressed

2012-02-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

Adele in Armani

Katy Perry in Elie Saab

Paris Hilton in Basil Soda

Miranda Lambert

Rihanna In Giorgio Armani

Hillary Scott

Jane Seymour

Kathy Griffin

Red Carpet Round-Up: 2012 Grammy Awards The Rest

2012-02-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

Alicia Keys in Alexandre Vauthier

Corinne Bailey Rae in Christian Siriano

Jessie J in Julien Macdonald

Carrie Underwood In Gomez Garcia

Gwyneth Paltrow in Stella McCartney

Kate Beckinsale in Zuhair Murad

Kelly Rowland In Alberta Ferretti

Taylor Swift in Zuhair Murad

Red Carpet Round-Up: 2012 Grammy Awards Worst Dressed

2012-02-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

Cyndi Lauper

Diana Ross

Kelly Osbourne in Tony Ward

Robyn

Snooki

Taraji P. Henson

Fergie Jean Paul Gaultier

Julianne Hough in Kaufman Franco

Lady Gaga in Versace

Malin Akerman in Cushnie et Ochs

Nicki Minaj in Versace

The Search Continues

2012-02-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

Our house search is still going on. We have now had 2 days out with Realtor #2 and have seen almost 10 homes now. While we have the area narrowed down, the style and type we are fairly open to which can make it confusing.

While touring we have been able to see some show homes. I love looking at show homes to see the different design schemes. Below are some of the amazing rooms we have seen. I would die if my house looked like this, with some minor tweaks of course....

Top 5 Looks: Evan Rachel Wood

2012-02-03T10:00:00.002-07:00

5. Man Up

4. Gucci Girl

3. Lunching Lady

2. Flowing Gowns

1. Pefection at the Golden Globes

Realtor Blues

2012-02-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

"The Eng" and I have decided that it time to take the next step in life together. No I do not have a rock on my finger, but instead we have decided that we are going to buy a house together.

Now living in the city for the rest of my life is not in my cards, however, for the 40 acres 20 minutes outside of the city that I would want, I'm looking at $750,000+. Cash that I just don't have right now. So for now we will live in the city, save up and use Mom and Dad's farm as mine for now.

We were all excited to get out and look at houses and start the house buying process. We had met with our realtor and the mortgage was all in place, we just needed to find "the house". I had stayed in the city this weekend even though we are busy calving and dedicated my weekend to finding a great place for us to start a life together.

Saturday rolled around and we were scheduled to go out at 4PM. At 3:45PM we got a call from a guy that works with our realtor saying that he was sick and not able to go out. Long story short we did not get to see any houses, and we also canned our realtor and are starting from scratch again. Not something that we really had in mind, but think that it will be much easier in the end.

This week we will start/resume the search with our new realtor. After a couple of weeks that have not gotten any worse I know I sure am glad that today is a new month!

Is 2 Better then 1?

2012-01-31T10:00:00.001-07:00

Twins always seem like such a neat thing. 2 calves, 2 times the money, and most times 2 times the work that go along with them.

Each year it we usually get a set or 2 that are born at the farm, and each time we see twins it is a bit of a disappointment. There are lots of different mind sets when it comes to the disadvantages of twins. The big one is that if the sexes of the calves are a male and a female, if there were in the same sack during development the heifer will be a free martin, and unable to breed. When it comes to there being 2 bulls, some people believe that a bull can pass on the twin gene and do not like to purchase them for breeding. The big thing is that regardless of the sex of the calves, the cow simply does not do as well on the calves as there is 2 she is feeding rather then 1. This can lead to lower weaning weights or the cow not getting back in calf.

In some cases if we have a cow who has lost a calf we will try grafting one of the twins onto another mother. This can be a time consuming process, and does not always work, but it is better for both the mother of the twins, and the twins themselves.

One of the twin bulls this year

One big happy family of 3

Top 5 Looks: Amber Heard

2012-01-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

1. Ravishing in Red

2. Wonderful in Westwood

3. Simple and Elegant

4. Short and Sweet

5. Classically Chic

Calving in the Cold

2012-01-26T10:00:00.004-07:00

Each winter it seems like we get a blast of -30 to -40 degree Celsius weather. Not only is it cold for us humans, but the cattle are just as cold as us. Factor in that our cows are also calving at that time, and it makes for a very long week with the cold weather.

This year we got our week of cold weather, and it all started when Mom and Dad were in Denver and "The Eng" and I were out calving cows. On the last day that we were at the farm we got a record 6 calves in 18hrs. Not that many by most standards, but when it is -30 with the wind blowing and a tiny barn jam packed with cows and calves, it makes for a long day.

Fortunately, most of the calves were ok, and are all doing fine now. We lost an embryo calf that was born dead, but the rest will live to tell about the cold day they were born on. There will be a few frozen ears and a bit of a frozen nose, but nothing that will effect their performance or breeding ability.

One little guy was born outside and was very cold when we found him. "The Eng" probably saved his life by getting him into the house and warming him up as fast as he could. 13Z was back out with his momma later that day, and now is out playing with the other calves. Not bad for a guy experiencing calving for the very first time!

The Eng and his new friend 13Z

Big Bad Bulls

2012-01-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

Ok well the bulls really arn't bad, but they sure are getting big. We have 6 bulls left in the pen, and these ones have been carried over to sell in the Red Deer Bull Sale in March. 5 of these bulls are paternal brothers to the $40,000 RJY Rival bull we sold at checkers.

Over the next few weeks we will continue to clip and tie these bulls up. All of our bulls are sold tie or halter broke for easy handling. Once I have a few more pictures I will be sure to post them, but for now here are a few shots of the bulls from this past weekend.

Revolution son that will sell in March

Getting Rival ready to head to Alta Genetics

Calving 2012

2012-01-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

Calving has officially begun at the farm with over 20 calves now. They are looking great and I will have more updates and pictures in the coming weeks. For now here is a little taste of a few of the calves.

Top 5 Looks: Emma Watson

2012-01-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

1. Best Ever!

2. Perfect at Potter Premier

3. Beautiful in Burberry

4. Elegant in White

5. Short and Edgy

Tie Outs Morning and Night

2012-01-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

While we are at Farmfair we are lucky enough to be able to tie our animals outside at night. This helps to keep them healthy and it also allows us to remake the stall each night.

The crew at Northlands takes care of putting down clean straw each day for the animals to lay in at night. We then take hay out for them to eat at night.

Tie-outs during the day

At 6pm each night the barn doors open and cattle start moving outside for the night. It is pretty neat to see 500 head of cattle walking around the horse track towards the tie-outs.

While the animals are stalled there during the night they have both a halter and a neck tie to secure them in place. A neck tie is an additional rope that goes around there neck and is secured with a ring and clip. The halter is then tied to the left side and the neck robe on the right with the animal in the middle.This keeps them in place and from not getting tangled up with other animals as well as a back up measure encase one of the ropes comes undone during the night.

Tie-outs at night filled with cattle

Christmas & New Years 2011

2012-01-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

This year we had our first brown Christmas in a while. Jon and Crystal were in Iowa for Christmas so the holidays were a bit different this year.

We headed to the Groenveld Christmas Eve party and had a surprise visit from Santa. The next stop was at our Groeneveld Grandparents at High River. We had lots of fun in the morning, and our Uncle Dean's dog Axel had fun opening a few presents too.

On December 30th Crystal and Jon joined us for New Years and to celebrate Christmas with them. It was great to see them one last time before the big wedding in April and to spend New Years Eve together. The last time that happened was back when Crystal was in college. Dan also joined us and the 4 of us spend the night at Dan's cabin with a few other friends.

The next time we will see Jon is the wedding in April, and I will get to see Crystal in March for one last trip out with the girls!

Red Carpet Round-Up: Golden Globes Best Dressed

2012-01-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

Tina Fey In Oscar de la Renta

Charlize Theron in Dior

Claire Danes in J. Mendel

Evan Rachel Wood in Gucci

Jessica Alba in Gucci

Kate Beckinsale in Cavalli

Lea Michele in Marchesa

Maria Menounos

Nicole Kidman in Versace

Paula Patton in Monique Lhuillier

Reese Witherspoon in Zac Posen

Rooney Mara in Nina Ricci

Sofia Vergara in Vera Wang

Zooey Deschanel in Prada

Red Carpet Round-Up: Golden Globes Worst Dressed

2012-01-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

Amanda Peet

Busy Phillips

Angelina Jolie in Versace

Elle MacPherson in Zac Posen

Jessica Chastain in Givenchy

Kelly Osbourne in Zac Posen

Madonna in Reem Acra

Melissa McCarthy in Badgley Mischka

Michelle Williams in Jason Wu

Mila Kunis in Dior

Natalie Portman In Lanvin

Piper Perabo in Theysken's Theory

Red Carpet Round-Up: Golden Globes The Rest

2012-01-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

Diane Lane in Reem Acra

Emma Stone in Lavin

Diane Agron in Giles

Heidi Klum in Calvin Klein

Helen Miren in Badgley Mischka

Kate Winslet in Jenny Packham

Salma Hayek in Gucci

Sarah Hyland

Top 5 Looks: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

2012-01-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

1. Shining Star

2. Radiant in Red

3. Kool in Kors

4. Sexy Styling

5. Pure and Simple

Red Carpet Round-Up: People's Choice Awards Best Dressed

2012-01-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

Vanessa Hudgens in Jenny Packham

Miley Cyrus in David Koma

Emma Stone in Gucci

Alyson Hannigan in Alice & Olivia

Jennifer Morrison in Oscar de la Renta

Whitney Cummings in ASOS

Ginnifer Goodwin in Roksanda Ilincie

Nina Dobrev in Elie Saab

Kaley Cuoco in Badgley Mischka

Kristen Bell in Valentino

Red Carpet Round-Up: People's Choice Awards The Rest

2012-01-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

Colbie Smolders in Reem Acra

Chloe Moretz in Proenza Schouler

Busy Philips in Carvan

Lucy Hale in Cengiz Abazoglu

Red Carpet Round-Up: People's Choice Awards Worst Dressed

2012-01-12T10:35:00.000-07:00

Lea Michelle in Marchesa

Demi Lovato in Marchesa

Making the Bed

2012-01-11T10:00:00.003-07:00

At the shows we are not immune from doing chores. The animals need to be fed and watered, the aisles need to be swept, the cattle need to be kept clean, and this all needs to happen while we are talking to potential customers marketing our cattle.

At the end of each day we take out cattle outside to another stall called tie-outs. They spend the overnight there where they have lots of clean bedding and fresh air. After the animals are all lead out to tie-outs there are more chores to be done. We need to prep feed for the next morning and straighten out the stall for the animals to come back the next day.

This is what our stall looked like one day after the animals being in it. There is hay that has been pulled back and not eaten, the shavings are all messy, and the mats that the animals stand on so they do no paw are messed up too.

Once we get all of the night chores done this is how the stall should look. It is all clean and ready for the animals in the morning. This saves us time in the morning and allows us to sleep in those precious few moments.

Farmfair 2011

2012-01-11T10:00:00.002-07:00

Farmfair is always a really fun show for us. Not only have we done well at this show, but it is also right in our backyard so it is great to see lots of old friends. We do a lot of business at this show and sell a few animals either out of the stall, or have cattlemen come to the farm to see the bulls we have for sale.

Here are just a few of the pictures from the show this year, and our Reserve National Champion bull RJY Rival 13Y.

RJY First Time 18Y

2012-01-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

This weekend we sold yet another bull out of the bull pen. This calf has a pretty neat story, and will have a great future both at High Country and with his new owners BS Ranch.

RJY First Time 18Y is an In Dew Time out of our future donor Joy's First Date 1W.

We were really wanting to use In Dew Time in our herd to get some replacement females. The semen we ordered was sexed female semen 90. This means that the semen will produce 90% heifers and 10% bulls. When AI was done we were to expect 5 calves out of this sire. Once the calves were all born, we were left with 4 heifers and 1 bull! Guess we learned our lesson that you cannot play around with science to much and just have to let mother nature take its course.

Joy's First Date and RJY First Time at Agribition

This fall we took First Time and his mother out on the show road. They placed 2nd in class at the National Show at Farmfair and 4th in class at Agribition. We were then able to connect with BS Ranch who ended up purchasing this bull out of our show string.

RJY First Time 18Y

Along with BS Ranch we will be using this new herdsire on our heifers this spring. We are excited to have such a maternal and calving ease sire to implement into our herd and can't wait to see the effect that he will have on our first calf heifers.

We will be selling semen on this young sire this spring. You can contact Rob Young at 780-514-0758 or show12win@yahoo.ca for more information.

Catch Up Blogs

2012-01-08T19:24:00.000-07:00

During the month of December I kind of took a bit of a break from blogging. Life was crazy busy and I just didn't ever find the time to do it. So over the next few weeks I will have some catch up blogs about the rest of the happenings over late November and December. Hope you enjoy, and thanks to all the new readers that we are seeing in 2012! Be sure to let me know what you loving and comments are always loved!

Top 5 Looks: Catherine Duchess of Cambridge

2012-01-06T10:00:00.002-07:00

1. The Royal Wedding

2. Amazing Coats

3. Royal Affair

4. Magnificent McQueen

6. Street Style

Top 10 of 2011

2012-01-04T10:00:00.002-07:00

This past year was pretty awesome. I know it is the cliche thing to do, but time really did fly, and I have to say it was one of the best years yet! Here are the Top 10 things according to me.

10. Home Reno- My living room was the last room that needed to be redone. Thanks to a work bonus I can officially say it is completed! And yes I still love my white couch.

9. Year of Concerts- Taylor Swift, Michael Jackson the Immortal Tour and Keith Urban made this year pretty awesome. What great performances these all were.

8. Canmore/Banff- "The Eng" decided to plan a trip to Canmore/Banff for the weekend. If was awesome to get away and spend some time together. Golfing Silver Tip was pretty cool too.

7. Work Achievements- I had a killer year at Delta Hotels and Resorts. I made top 25 in the company for Quarters 1 & 2 and 4. Along with some bonus's along the ways it feels pretty good to be on top of my game.

6. Vegas- I love Vegas so it was great to go back with Brett this year. Garth Brooks was amazing and it was pretty awesome to meet "The Eng" and his friend Kevin down there too.

5. New York- New York is another soft spot of mine. Only a few months into dating a boy we jumped on a plane together for 5 days in the Big Apple. A Yankee's game, amazing food, a kick ass hotel and some great company made this a pretty awesome time.

4. Cattle Time- I had an amazing year with my cattle. In March I sold 2 bulls at the Red Deer Bulls sale for $5000 and $5500. Top that off with Elle embryo's selling in Louisville and being able to show Southern Elle all fall and I am ready to see what 2012 brings!

3. Rival- As a family we had a pretty fun ride with RJY Rival 13Y. He was Jr Champion Bull and National Res. Champion Bull at Farmfair and then went onto be Jr. Champion Bull at Agribition a few weeks later. A big thanks to Kopp Farms and the Rival Syndicate for purchasing this herd sire at Checkers for $40,000!

2. Rings and Weddings- In May we got a awesome piece of news when Jon finally proposed to Crystal. We are really excited to travel to Iowa this spring for their wedding, and it has been great getting to know Jon and his family this year.

1. "The Eng"- While in Vegas I met a pretty awesome guy myself. We have spent the last 10 months travelling, showing cattle, hanging out at the lake, and becoming best friends. Stay tuned for 2012 as some exciting things are coming!

Top 10 Red Carpet Looks of the Year

2012-01-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

There were so many amazing looks this year. It was extremely touch to come up with my top 10 list but here we go!

10. Bar Refaeli in Roberto Cavalli at the Cannes Film Festival

9. Mila Kunis in Elie Saab at the Oscars

8.Angelina Jolie in Versace and the Golden Globes

7. Sarah Jessica Parker ing Elie Saab at the Cannes Film Festival

6. Jennifer Lopez in The Row in LA

5. Diane Kruger in Elie Saab at the Cannes Film Festival

4. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge in Alexander McQueen at the Royal Wedding

3. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in Naeem Khan at the Berlin Transformers Premier

2. Cate Blanchett in Givenchy Couture and the Oscars

1. Nina Dobrev in Donna Karan at the Emmy-Awards

Top 10 Blogs of 2011

2012-01-02T10:00:00.001-07:00

The year has officially ended and the Top 10 blogs are just beginning. I will have a few for you this week, but what better way to start then counting down the top 10 blogs of 2011!

10. Red Carpet Round Up: 2011 MET Gala Best Dressed

I love the MET Gala, so I am thrilled that you love reading about this amazing fashion event. You can read all about my favorite picks here, but lets just say that Gisele Bundchen wowed me in this red Alexander McQueen gown.

9. Red Carpet Round Up: 2011 MET Gala Worst Dressed

As much as we love reading about the best dressed at the events, sometimes it is even more entertaining to read about the worst dressed. These ladies just did not pull it off at the biggest fashion event in the world. Better luck to them next year.Check out the worst dressed here.

8. Top 5 Looks- Jennifer Aniston

Everyone loves Jennifer Aniston so it is no surprise that she would make this list. Her amazing down to earth fashion may make her predictable, but it makes us love her. Not to forget about a heartbreaking divorse and now a new relationship, Jennifer is on top of her game more now then ever! It is her everyday style that has me watching her! See my top 5 picks of hers here

7. Red Carpet Round-Up; 2011 Golden Globes The Rest

When the ladies of the small and big screen are on it can get hard to pick just a few for the best dressed page. These ladies still looked fabulous a the Golden Globes. Check out them here and see if you think any of them should be on the Best Dressed page.

6. Denver Stock Show 2011- Club Calf Bulls

The club calf bulls in Denver are always one of the most talked about parts of the Stock Show. Because I do not get to Denver I love being able to look through the bulls that are there, and read about people's favorites. The names always are awesome with them ranging from simple to scandlous. What one was your favorite?

5. Red Carpet Round-Up: 2011 Golden Globes Worst Dressed

Yet another group of women who did not make the best dressed list. Some repeat offenders here who seem to never get it right. Everything from bad gowns, bad hair, and the wrong shoes or jewllery. Here is to hoping they can get it right this year. See the worst dressed here

4. Red Carpet Round Up: 2011 Grammy's The Rest

From the Golden Globes we move to the Grammy's. Here the fashion is a bit more laid back and the fancy gowns are left at home. Check out Lady Gaga's red carpet fashion, she sure does know how to make an entrance! Wonder how she will top herself this year? See the craziness here.

3. Red Carpet Round Up: 2011 Grammy's Best Dressed

The Grammy's were popular with the #3 post as well. With the hem lines a bit shorter and the hair a bit bigger these ladies rocked out their inner diva and brought out the rockstar within. Everyone from Jennifer Lopez to Miranda Lampert is on this list. See who is your favorites here.

2. Red Carpet Round-Up: 2011 Golden Globes Best Dressed

This year's countdown was dominated by Best Dressed posts. The Golden Globes have 3 entries on this post and deservingly the Best Dressed women ended up at #2. These ladies are always so well put together on one of entertainments biggest nights. The best gowns of the year are on the red carpet this night, and they always continue to outdue themselves. Which one was your favorite?

1. Red Carpet Round-Up: 2010 MET Ball- Best Dressed

For the second year in a row this is the #1 post! A huge accomplishment, and deservingly so. The MET ball is amazing and so is the fashion that shows up on this evening. I have always said that this is the #1 event I would love to attend in my life. Why 2010 was such a big year is easy to see when you scroll through the best dressed of this event!

Getting Beautified

2011-12-06T11:01:00.000-07:00

While at Agribition we spend a lot of time grooming our animals. The reason we show is to promote our animals and our farm in hopes that people will want to buy either the ones in the stall or the ones back at home. To make this happen we need to have our cattle looking their very best. This means lots of brushing, washing, clipping and blowing (a blower is a large cow hair dryer).

On show day, we spend even more time with them and use some extra hair products to make them look their best for when they go into the ring. Hairspray, foams or mousses, paint and oils are all used on certain areas to enhance how the animal looks. I learned at a very young age that grooming is all about illusions. Cover up what is bad about the animal and make their faults disappear while enhancing what is good about them.

Here are a few shots from show day and getting the cattle all groomed for the show.

Agribition 2011: High Country Cattle

2011-12-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

I realized that I had no shared all my Agribition photos with you, so my goal is to get through them this week. We had a great show at Agribition and were able to meet some new friends and see some old ones as well. It is the people and friendships in the Simmental breed that make it as strong as it is today.

Our stall

Dad doing some clipping on First Time

Once of First Time's last meals. He is now weaned from his mother

Top 5 Looks- Selena Gomez

2011-12-02T10:00:00.001-07:00

5. Short and Playful

4. Lovely and Long

3. Fashion Risk Taker

2. VaVaVaVoom

1. Young and Fashionable

Victoria Secret Fashion Show 2011

2011-12-01T09:54:00.000-07:00

This week was the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, a true holiday tradition to me. I love fashion and runway shows, so this is a favorite for me come the end of the year.

It is awesome to see the new ideas that they come up with, the themes behind the show, the new models that they bring into the show and of course the stunning women do not hurt either.

Here are a few of my favorite looks from the show this year. I was sad not to see Marissa Miller on the runway, but there girls pulled it off!

Agribition 2011: Supreme Show

2011-11-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

It seems like year after year the RBC Supreme Show of Champions always has a hype that goes unmatched. The quality of cattle, the uncertainty of who is going to win, and the prestige that goes along with the title is unlike any other.

This year was no different. The quality of cattle was there, the panel of judges were all capable of the chanllenge ahead, and in the end there would only be 2 winners. With nearly 100 entries it seems like the show gets larger each year as the competition is so strong at all of these shows.

One of my favorite parts of the show is watching the champions getting slapped letting them know that they are the Supreme Champion of the year. This years reactions from the winners were great. I particularly loved the bull winner as she jumped up and down and just hugged her bulls neck.

The Supreme Champion Female went to Soo Line Angus with an Annie K cow. This female was actually the calf on her mother when she was crowned World Champion just 2 years ago and is co-owned by SSS Angus and Froelich.

Supreme Champion Female

The Supreme Champion bull went to the entry from CSS Charolais, Char-Mo Farms, and Cedarlea Farms

Supreme Champion Bull

You've Been Beiberfied

2011-11-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

This story needs a little background information. When we were in Vegas this past February, I was given the nickname Bieber, yes after Justin Bieber. Now I want to set the record straight that I do not like the Biebs nor do I have 1 song of his on my Itunes, but somehow this name just kinda stuck.

While I was away in Regina all last week, "the Eng" and Brett decided to play a little trick on me. They went shopping and spent a night doing some decorating in my room. This is what I walked into when I got home last night.

I think it is safe to say that the joke is on me!

You Know You Have Made It When...

2011-11-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

The last few months I have seen this #4 bus driving around Edmonton. With the help of "the Eng" I finally got a picture of it.

I guess you know you are a big shot in the cattle business when you have a City of Edmonton bus that reads your farm name. Pretty cool if you ask me!

Christmas Cards

2011-11-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

I am not really that big on Christmas cards, however, this year we all wanted to go together and take a picture of us roommates to send out to some family and friends. We pulled on our ugly sweaters and had some fun. Can't wait to see the finished product, but here are some samples for now!

Christmas Time In the City

2011-11-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

I am not a Christmas fan, not really sure why, but it is just not my favorite holiday. Crystal and mom really get into the holiday spirit and I have been trying my best to join in with then in celebrating this holiday.

Part of me getting into the spirit of the holidays, I will be putting up my very first Christmas Tree this year! Usually I do not bother as we are at the farm for most of the time, but since I will be in the city until December 24th, and coming back a couple days after Christmas I thought that it would be something fun to do. I promise I will post some pictures of my tree once it is up, but here are a few things that inspired me and my Christmas Decor!

It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year

2011-11-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

No it's not back to school, nor is it Christmas......... It's Agribition!

For purebred cattlemen there is not other time in Western Canada like Agribition. It is the combination of the best seedstock genetics in the country, mixed with some of the best people in our industry. Nothing can ever be like Agribition!

This year we are taking cattle out to show. We will have my heifer calf Southern Elle and our red bull calf Rival along for the ride as well as a cow/calf pair or two. Since we will be in Regina, and the barns are not the best place to be writing blogs, I will try my best to update on how the show is going.

In the meantime you can watch all of the shows and sales at www.cattleinmotion.com. Thanks to Cattle In Motion and Blairs.Ag for this opportunity to show what caliber of animals will be at this great show!

Top 5 Looks- Penelope Cruz

2011-11-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

5. Casual Chic

4. Pretty in Pants

3. Gowns, Gowns, Gowns

2. Simply Stunning

1. Radiant in Red

Rival

2011-11-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

This past week we were in showing at Farmfair for our National Simmental Show. We had a great show, and will post some results later this week, but thought that I would share some of these picture from the show.

We ended up winning Champion Junior Bull Calf and Reserve Champion Simmental Bull! Was a great day and we are really proud of this calf. He will be selling in Checkers on December 17th.

Top 5 Looks- Iman

2011-11-11T10:00:00.000-07:00

5. Mini Me

4. Glam Goddess

3. Punch of Color

2. Shining Star

1. Super Model Star

Footwear of the Week

2011-11-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

This week has been a welcomed change for me. Working downtown there is a certain dress code that comes with the area. That means no jeans or sweats, and we wear suits and heels each day.

With Farmfair in town it meant that I got to trade these Louboutin's....

And these....

For these....

And these!

I will gladly made this switch any day, and I think my feed for glad for the change too!

Fall on the Farm

2011-11-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

We have gotten all moved in and settled into Farmfair, but while we are here, we still need to make sure that the rest of the cattle at the farm are taken care of as well. With the help of some neighbors and family, some of the jobs will be done for us, but Mom and Dad will still drive back and forth to tend to the rest.

All of our cows are still out on pasture finishing up the grass that we have left for them. This helps cut down on the amount of time we have to feed them in the yard, and also on the cost of having to buy extra hay. We have a well on the pasture, but need to pump water into a trough every day as it is ran off a generator. In the summer this can be done a couple of times a week, but once it freezes this becomes a daily job.

The cows will stay out on pasture for the next week, and then be brought home for the winter to be fed. They will be at the farm until May when the snow has melted and the grass has grown enough for them to return to the pasture.

Their calves that were born in 2011 have been weaned off and are now at home. The bulls are being fed and will be sold in the spring to cattlemen, and the heifers have been sorted and the top end have been kept for our herd. These young heifers will become the next generation at the farm, and take over for some of the older cows in the herd, or cows that are not the best producers.

Almost Showtime

2011-11-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend we did the last little bit of prep for our first show of the fall show season. Farmfair is always the kick off to the fall shows, and it happens to be right in our backyard at it is only 1hr away.

Because it is the first show of the season it seems like it takes a bit more work to get ready for then any of the others. Once the last show is done, everything usually just gets thrown off the truck and trailer as it is -30 outside and we want to get inside and to sleep after a long drive home. It becomes a game of hide and seek when the next year rolls around to find all of the show equipment again.

There are also the tasks like getting stall signs made for each animal, painting all of the steel that we will use, and making sure you have enough halters since dad usually steals some to tie gates with during the year.

Getting everything together

Aside from gathering all of the equipment, we still need to be working on cattle. This past weekend the temperatures finally plunged some, and so washing cattle in the open was out of the question. We did our best to work their hair and do some clipping to lighten the work load once we get to town.

Dad clipping on First Date

We also work with the ones that have not been to a show before. Because the animals will be in the city for 5 days, they have to stay tied up the whole time. We try and get them used to be tied up for extended periods of time, teaching them its ok to eat out of a feed tub and a water pail aposed to a water and feed trough.

Rival and Play Date hanging out in the barn

We will see how well we did with the preparations as today Mom and Dad will be taking the cattle into the show. I will join them tomorrow to help out for rest of the week, and "the Eng" will even join us for show day to take part in his first cattle show. Wish us luck and I will try to post some photos and results later this week!

Sale Time in Louisville

2011-11-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

The Louisville sale may be 1 week away, but it is time to start thinking about this exciting lot. This time last year dad and I were debating about making a big purchase in Louisville at the Simmental Sale. After a few minutes of bidding we had purchased Elegant Force our Christmas present to ourselves and never looked back!

Elegant Force

We got Elle up into Canada right before Christmas and could not have been happier. She laid down and had an awesome heifer calf- Southern Elle. We will be showing her heifer this fall at Farmfair and Agribition, and I can say that I have never owned something that has been this good! Elle really outdid herself on the first calf!

Southern Elle

We keep Elle open for the year and have flushed her 3 times. The flushes went very well and we will be expecting about 6 calves out of her this winter. Should be some exciting times around the farm.

With the flushes going so well, and her first calf looking as great as she does, we have decided to sell two sets of 3 embryos in the Louisville sale next Monday. The embryos are sired by Power Drive and Joker, two sires that we think will cross really well and that are really proven within the Simmental breed.

Elegant Force as a 2yr old

The Louisville sale will be broadcasted on Edjecast.com. To register for a buyer number or more information please contact the EDJE team. You can view the catalog here, or contact DP Sales Management for more information. The embryos will sell as lot 9A & 9B.

We have real confidence in this young donor, and will look to her to lead the next generation of black females at our farm. If you have any questions feel free to contact myself or Rob at 780-514-0785. More information of this female can be found at www.highcountrycattle.com

Cirque du Soleil Immortal

2011-11-04T10:00:00.000-06:00

Wednesday night I got to finally use one of my Christmas presents. Mom and dad had gotten me 2 tickets to see the Michael Jackson themed Cirque du Soleil show Immortal.

The Eng had never seen a Cirque show so it was easy for me to bring him along and open his eyes to another world. Plus it helped that he liked Michael's music.

The show was amazing and if it is coming to a city near you, go you will not be disappointed. The show mixed classic Cirque performances with the technology and dance that made Michael what he was know for. It included remakes of Smooth Criminal, Thriller and They Don't Really Care About Us.

Now I can't wait for the Vegas show to open up as I know it will be just as good if not better!

Top 5 Looks- Blake Lively

2011-11-03T10:00:00.001-06:00

This girl has style, there is no question about that. Whether being on the hit show Gossip Girl, or attending the preimer of her newest movie this girl always looks great!

5. Being Serina

4. Legs Galore

3. Michael Kors Girl

2. Gorgeous Gowns

1. Beauty at its Best

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T10:00:00.002-06:00

Hope that everyone had a great weekend and is all ready for Halloween and Trick-or-Treaters tonight!

Fall Pictures

2011-10-27T10:02:00.000-06:00

Along with the picture of Rival, we also pictured the bred heifer, Prom Date, and the black bull calf, First Time.

We are selling Prom Date in Checkers as a lot where we will sell 2/3 animals offered. She is being offered along with her mother, Dream Date, and her sister Play Date.

The bull calf will be sold either this fall, or in the spring through a sale. We sure like him, and he will be shown with his mother both at Agribition and Farmfair this year.

Top 5 Looks- Charlize Theron

2011-10-27T10:00:00.000-06:00

Charlize is someone who is not always on the red carpet. When she does make an appearance this South African beauty is almost a guarantee on the best dressed list.

5. Casual Chic

4. Perfect Pants

3. Dior Girl

2. Dazzling Dresses

1. Best Dressed

Wordless Wednesday: Best Picture Ever

2011-10-26T10:00:00.001-06:00

I won't say to much other then this is the best picture I have taken. I love this one, and think it really shows this calf off!

Rival

Picture Day on the Farm

2011-10-25T10:00:00.000-06:00

This weekend it was picture day again on the farm. It seems like we are always taking new pictures of the cattle, especially the calves, as they are always changing and growing.

Before we can take the pictures we always wash and blow them dry. Some clipping may be done, then we head off to our picture location.

The Eng helped us wash

Our picture location is down in one of the fields at the main farm. Because this is usually away from the other cattle we will take 2 or 3 down at a time. They usually stand better knowing they are not the only one there, and it makes it easy to picture a few animals at a time.

The Eng and First Time

Dad and Prom Date

Once and a while we will even get a few visitors coming to see what we are up to. We can make some pretty funny noises so there are always a few curious ones. Last weekend in was the new bred heifer we bought at Remington's dispersal sale.

Our new purchase

We got some pretty great photos this weekend, one that will be up tomorrow. Pretty excited too as I think it is the best photo I have ever taken!

Harley the Hedgehog

2011-10-24T10:37:00.000-06:00

This weekend after getting home from the farm, we had a new visitor to our house. Growning up I always wanted a hedgehog. I thought that they were so cool and would make a great pet.

Shaun was being the delivery guy for this hedgehog dropping it off at a friends house. But until he could get to the friends house, he got to spend the night at our house!

Meet Harley

I never really knew what there attitudes were like, just that I thought they were really cute. Turns out they are not so friendly, and very poky. Notice the heavy gloves Shaun has on.

The coolest thing about them is that their defence is to curl up in a ball. When they are hiding you cannot tell top from bottom and make a perfect little ball. Plus with their poky quills they are protected from predators.

Although Harley was fun to have for 1 night, I am sure glad that I never did get a hedgehog. They are extremely boring and just not good or fun pets!

RJY Paradise 1T

2011-10-21T10:00:00.001-06:00

We have some pretty sweet cows on our farm, some that we are really proud of. It seems like the ones that have been shown over the years usually are the better ones, but there are also some that have never had a halter on them before that are just as good if not better.

One of those cows its Paradise 1T. Paradise is a Red Label cows out of CMS Paradise 05P. The 05P Paradise was purchased from Czech Mate Simmentals as a heifer calf, and later was selected as the pick of our herd at the 2006 World Congress Sale.

Before we sold 05P we had flushed her to Red Label, and this cow is the only resulting progeny we have out of her.

RJY Paradise 1T

Each year Paradise does a great job raising her calves. She has never had a miss, and now has put a few daughters back into the herd. Most recently the breeding combination of her and Revolution has really clicked. Last year her heifer calf was part of our show string, and she placed 2nd in class at Agribition.

This year we have a full brother and he is a stand out in the bull pen. Earlier this year I had posted calf pictures about the no ears bull calf that I really liked. Well now he is grown and weaned off his mother 1T.

Who knows what the future holds for 1T around the farm, but I know I sure would take a 100 cows just like her!

Top 5 Looks- Sarah Jessica Parker

2011-10-20T10:00:00.000-06:00

SJP is one of my favorite style icons. She may not always look the best, but she is not afraid to take a risk and try something new!

5. Ladylike SJP

4. Working the Killer Gowns

3. Short and Sassy

2. Beloved McQueen Fan

1. Best of All Time

Wordless Wednesday: Photos From the Farm

2011-10-19T10:00:00.000-06:00

Cattle Sales the 21st Century Way

2011-10-18T10:56:00.000-06:00

This past Sunday was the Star Lake fall sale. With our family becoming good friends over the past year, we were wanting to watch part of the sale and see how it was going to go. The problem is that it is just not economical to fly to Oklahoma for a few hours to watch a sale.

Now thanks to companies like Live Auctions, and Cattle In Motion, we are able to watch and bid on sales that we are not able to attend. These companies are hired by the sales to do a live video feed of the sale. Those people who cannot attend can either just watch the sale, or they can make bids on animals that are selling!

The sales start with a sale order. If you are at the sale you would pick one of these up and follow along so you know where each animal sells in the sale. Since we were not at the sale we printed ours out to follow along.

On the sale order there many be notes about each lot. On the Star Lake one there was updated weights as well as some terms of the sale for each animal. This particular one they were selling only part of the bull. It is important to know what you are buying before hand so that there is no confusion between the buyer and the seller.

Once you have reviewed the catalog and the sale order the sale will be next. Each company does it differently, but this is Star Lake's sale that was done through Live Auctions. A camera is set up so that you can get a view of the ring. You can see the animal and the auctioneer and there is also sound so you can hear what is happening as well.

The price will change as the people both online and at the sale make their bids. This one is lot 108 and the next bid they were asking for was $9250.00! I think this bull ended up selling for $15,250.00

It was a great sale that the Blin's had. They averaged over $8000 on the females and $7300 on the bulls. This is excellent, and a true testament to how hard the crew works at Star Lake.

Feeding for the Fall

2011-10-17T11:24:00.000-06:00

The fall is always a busy time around the farm. Because we do not make any of our own feed (we buy all of our hay and grain from other farmers) our summers are a bit slower. Once we start to wean the calves off their mothers the work starts to build as we get ready for the winter.

Part of this work involves feeding the animals that we will be showing at Farmfair and Agribition. Each animal gains differently, and some need to be fed more then others. Although there is only 8 animals that we are feeding grain to right now at home, we have them in 5 different pens. Yes this does make a bit more work for everyone, but we need to make sure that they get the care and attention needed.

These two calves we are showing along side their mothers. Because they are not weaned and still milking their mothers, they get a different amount of grain then the other calves who are only eating hay and grain.

These are the 2 calves on the cow/calf pairs we are showing

This is the bred heifer and red bull calf. Because they are larger animals they to get fed a different amount of grain. They are not getting the added nutrients and energy from milk like the other calves so they need to be supplemented in a different way.

Prom Date & Rival

The other one that is getting fed by herself for a few days is Southern Elle. Usually she gets fed with the other calves, however, she was in heat over the weekend. The heifer calves will begin to cycle this time of the year. They are to young and small to get pregnant yet, and the bulls are getting to the age where there is a chance that their semen could get one of them pregnant. So for a few days she gets to be by herself so that we can make sure she will not get bred by one of the bulls.

Southern Elle

Not all of the cattle are home from pasture yet, actually very few of them are. The rest of the bull calves are still out at pasture. They have been weaned off their mothers, and are eating grass. The grass is not enough food for them, and so we have a creep feeder out for them so that they will gain more weight. A creep feeder hold grain for the animals and releases it as they eat. The black bars are set at a height so that just the calves can get in and not the bigger animals. Using a creep feeder makes it easier to feed as you are not needing to keep them closer to home and feed them with pails each day.

The bulls will stay out here and eat out of the creep feeder until the water freezes and the snow starts to fall. We will then bring them home and continue to feed them at the farm until the spring when they will go for sale.

Top 5 Looks- Beyonce

2011-10-14T10:00:00.001-06:00

5. Pregnancy Glow

4. Imma Diva

3. Sophisticated Style

2. Queen of the Stage

1. The Best

5 Tips for the Perfect Pumpkin

2011-10-13T10:00:00.001-06:00

With the fall season already among us, and Halloween right around the corner I thought it would be the perfect chance to share my tips for making the perfect pumpkins!

1.Try something new like turning them into pots or candy holders

2. Little pumpkins and gourds can make great indoor decorations

3. Dress Up your pumpkin’s too!

4. Try a classy painted pumpkin with a monogram

5. You can never go wrong with a classic jack-o-lantern!

Wordless Wednesday: The Eng

2011-10-12T10:00:00.000-06:00

I know this is Wordless Wednesday, but I thought this post needed a little bit of an introduction.

`The Eng` and I have been together for about 7.5 months now, and to this point I have done a good job keeping his face hidden. I did this not because I was embarrassed by him, or I didn`t want you to meet him, but because we did not have a great picture of the two of us yet.

So here we go, time to reveal the first official good picture!

Star Lake Cattle Ranch

2011-10-11T10:00:00.000-06:00

This weekend Jon posted this video on his blog about his parents farm Star Lark Cattle Ranch. They are gearing up for their annual fall sale happening this Sunday at the ranch in Oklahoma.

I really wish we had a program like this in Canada that featured the best of our countries cattlemen and farms. Check out the video and for more info on the upcoming sale, check out www.starlakeherefords.com

Windy Chicago

2011-10-07T13:52:00.000-06:00

I loved Chicago. It is probably one of the neatest cities I have visited in a long time. Yes getting a dress for Crystal was pretty neat, but I will leave that for her to share about. Here is my top 5 things about Chicago!

5. Did you know that Chicago almost burnt down in 1871. You can read the story below, but this is one of the only remaining buildings from "Old Chicago". This was there water station at the time.

4. Navy Pier is pretty cool. Its is definitely a tourist attraction with the bars and shops along the pier, but it was just a neat place to hang out. I loved being able to look back and see there massive buildings with the sailboats coming into dock. The ferris wheel was pretty neat too.

3. When we were there October had just begun. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and because of that the top of all the buildings are pink for the whole month. It was pretty neat to see them lit up like that. The city also has the most amazing architecture. It was super neat to see a really old style building next to the slick and sleek office towers. Some of the buildings along Michigan Ave (which has amazing shopping minus the 10% sales tax) reminded me of the cool historic churches in NYC.

2. Chicago has a ton of bridges. Mom read that Chicago has every kind of bridge possible: train bridges, walking bridges, draw bridges, triangle bridges and so much more! This was a really neat bridge by the hotel.

1. There is pop art and sculptures everywhere! This one was by far my favorite, it is huge Marylin Monroe. She was put there in September and will stay for 1 year. Each year a new sculpture is put there. I am not sure of her exact dimensions, but as we drove by grown men would only come half way up her leg! There were so many more or random sculptures and images spread around town. Remember the infamous Chicago cows of the 90's?

Wordless Wednesday: Paris Fashion Week

2011-10-06T10:00:00.000-06:00

Here are some of my favorite looks from the Spring/Summer 2012 Collections!

Olds Fall Classic 2011- Simmentals

2011-10-05T13:51:00.000-06:00

This last weekend was the 2nd Annual Olds Fall Classic. The Olds Fall Classic has become a great warm up show for the year, and a great way to track the quality of your cattle before the bigger shows later this fall.

As mom and I were in Chicago during the show, Dad was left to attend by himself. He took our mature pair- Dream Date, a yearling heifer that we are selling later this fall, as well as a red bull calf that we will show this fall.

I am starting to think that maybe we should just send Dad to the shows alone as the last time he went by himself, we had Champion Bull, and this time we had Reserve Champion Female!

Here are the big winners from the weekend.

Champion Female- Southpaw Cattle Company

Res. Champion Female- High Country Cattle Services

Champion Bull- Outlaw Cattle & Sevick Cattle

Res. Champion Bull- Fisk Cattle

Hotel Tour: Fairmont Chicago

2011-10-04T10:00:00.000-06:00

This last weekend we were in Chicago to buy Crystal a wedding dress. It was great to meet one of the other bridesmaids Dana, and also meet Jon's mom Debbie.

While there I took advantage of my Delta hotel discounts and we stayed at the Chicago Fairmont!

When you walk into the hotel you are greated by this magnificent registration desk. I loved the light details that extended from the wall right onto the floor.

We had 2 rooms for this trip, and having them adjoining made for a great way to socialize and visit with each other.

The bathrooms may not be the crazy shower of last weekend, but there were lots of mirrors and lights which was great.

And although we did not have a view of the Pier or Millenium Park, the downtown view really was great to see what Chicago was all about.

Weekend in the Mountains

2011-09-30T10:30:00.000-06:00

I am just getting a few things tied up in the office before my mom and I jump on a plane to head to Chicago for the weekend. In the mean time I thought I would share some more photos of the weekend "the Eng" and I spent in Canmore. I am sure to have lots more stories and photos when I get back on Monday!

The view from the top of the mountain was great

Hanging out with Eng at the top!

I Love AB Beef Stickers for $4.95 each! I have a few of those

The giant cow in the Cows ice cream store!

Silver Tip Golf

2011-09-29T11:17:00.000-06:00

The last part of my weekend away with "the Eng" was a trip to the Silver Tip Golf Course. Both "the Eng" and I love to golf, and it has been something that we have not only been able to do together this summer, but also with out friends and family.

I started out golfing a lot this summer, but that had kind of come to a slow down when things started to pick up on the farm and at work. I was a bit rusty and was not sure how I would fair on a tougher course. However, the picture below shows the first hole we played. Yes I made it there in 2 and got Par on the first hole.

Eng's ball is also there, but mine was closer to the pin!

The curse is really beautiful. There are great views of the mountains on every hole, and the course is in awesome shape. It made playing that much more enjoyable, especially on one of the nicest days of the year!

This might have been on of my favorite shots of the weekend. This is the 18th hole and a daunting one at that. I out drove all of the guys that we played with to tap in for a solid score of 99.

I would highly recommend this course for a special occasion. Not the kind of course you are going to play every weekend, but for a special day, or once a year treat to yourself this is a great pick!

What to Wear: Cattle Show

2011-09-29T10:00:00.000-06:00

The cattle show season is quickly coming up, with the first fall show of the season happening this weekend!

With cold, drafty barns you have to be prepared to go from being bundled up to going out with your friends for a few drinks in "The Swamp" at a moments notice. I think this outfit would work just perfect for those days!

Cattle Show Outfit by slycattle featuring purple scarves

Core Spirit studded t shirt, €63
Miss Me slim jeans, $98
The North face
The North face, $85
Old Gringo cross boots, $350
TopShop fish hook jewelry, $28
PASHMINA ART purple scarve, €75

The Day I Almost Died

2011-09-28T10:00:00.001-06:00

This last weekend when "the Eng" took me to the mountains I thought that we would go for a relaxing weekend. On Saturday morning when he told me to get my running shoes on I figured we must be going on a walk or something. 30 mins later we were at the base of Sulphur Mountain, and he was tell me that we were going to hike up the mountain....

Now let me clear a few things up for you.

1) I am in relatively good shape, but I do not enjoy working out.

2) I hate hiking

3) and while I love the mountains, when there is a gondola right on the mountain we are hiking, take me up the gondola not the 2-5hr hike up the mountain!

Regardless, "the Eng" was not going to take no for an answer. So up the mountain we went. Thank goodness we had gotten a water bottle and some snacks for the journey up!

The view is spectacular, there is no argument there. You can see the town of Banff, the Fairmont hotel, Banff Springs Golf Course, and the most crystal clear water ever.

Once we got to the top of the mountain there is a restaurant, more amazing views, and the option to hike to the Observatory on the next mountain over. I told "the Eng" that I might kill him if he made me hike anymore!

The hike was probably good for me, even though its not really my idea of a relaxing weekend. We had many laughs and good talks up the mountain. However, after the nice easy gondola ride down the mountain, I would suggest doing that both ways next time!

Hotel Tour: Grande Rockies Resort

2011-09-27T10:00:00.001-06:00

I love trying out new hotels. There are so many neat locations, styles and brands that I feel like I want to try them all! This last weekend while in Canmore, "the Eng" picked the Grande Rockies Resort to stay at.

This hotel was really great. We got upgraded to a One Bedrooms Suite, and it was like having our own condo for the weekend.

One of the best parts of the room was the shower! It was fully programmable with options like rain shower, radio, lights, foot massage, and a phone!

There was even a full kitchen in the room. Nothing better then being able to make breakfast in the mornings, or be able to enjoy a glass of wine out of real wine glasses!

Now if only every room came with a personal chef!

Top 5 Looks: Anne Hathaway

2011-09-27T10:00:00.000-06:00

5. One of the Boys

4. Short and Sweet

3. Oh So Lady Like

2. All that Glitters

1. Shining Star

6/7 Month Getaway

2011-09-26T10:06:00.000-06:00

This past weekend "the Eng" decided that we should go away for the weekend. He was busy coaching hockey during our 6 month anniversry and so we thought that we should celebrate later on.

"The Eng" wanted to plan the weekend all by himself. I had no idea where we were going, what we were doing, and was only allowed to pack what he suggested.

Over the next few days I will have more pictures of our trip, but until then here are some teaser shots of our weekend getaway!

Fall Cattle Pictures

2011-09-23T12:34:00.000-06:00

The last few weeks we have been busy working on our show and sale cattle for this fall. With the help of "the Eng" and dad we got most of them pictured!

RJY First Time (First Date x In Dew Time)

RJY Play Date (Dream Date x Cool Venture)

RJY Prom Date (Dream Date x Wheatland Hummer)

RJY Rival (Keepsake Daughter x Revolution)

RJY/SLY Southern Elle (Elegant Force x Explorer)

What to Wear: Derby Outfit

2011-09-22T10:00:00.003-06:00

I know the derby was a month ago, but I can't stop thinking about what a great outfit this would be. Crystal is talking about maybe having a derby night at her stagette this winter, so maybe this will just have to be my outfit!

Derby Outfit by slycattle featuring glitter platform pumps

Short dress, $330
Miu Miu glitter platform pumps, $239
Yves Saint Laurent white handbag, £470
MNG by Mango coral ring, $16
Cocktail hat, £365

#500

2011-09-22T09:00:00.002-06:00

Well today I have hit the milestone of 500 posts!

Thanks for being along for the ride and reading along!

Day in the Park

2011-09-21T09:58:00.001-06:00

Earlier this week I mentioned that "the Eng" and I went and got lost in the Edmonton Corn Maze, we had a great time, but before that we headed to William Hawrelak Park for a surprise picnic.

I love Hawrelak Park. It is always so peaceful and quiet, which is a nice break from the city.

The lake is really pretty and a great place to go skating in the winter, or paddle boating in the summer. This trip though we went for a picnic!

Nothing better then a few sandwiches, veggies, cookies and a beer on a hot summer day in the park!

Top 5 Looks- Taylor Swift

2011-09-20T10:52:00.000-06:00

5. Sidewalk Style

4. Short and Sweet

3. Bright and Bold

2. Gorgeous Gowns

1. Basic Black

Edmonton Corn Maze

2011-09-19T11:11:00.000-06:00

Last weekend "the Eng" and I headed out to the Edmonton Corn Maze for some fun. I had been to the Corn Maze at Lacombe before, but never to the Edmonton one.

There is so much to do at the Edmonton Maze. There is a little petting zoo, peddle bike races, a large pillow bouncer and of course popcorn!

It took us about 2 hrs to go through the maze and complete all 10 check points.

Corn in Alberta is not a very popular crop to grow. Our growing season is more suited towards canola, wheat, barley and oats. Most of the corn that is grown in central Alberta will be used for animal feed rather then human consumption. The exception is in southern Alberta where you can find the Taber corn!

Our corn does not grow to be as tall or the stalk as thick as it does other places. Crystal has been doing a Corn Report, and this is what the corn looked like on the same weekend in Iowa.

This is the corn in Alberta

This is the corn in Iowa