Dirt Road Charm

Motherhood, Agriculture, and everything in between

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Where the sun actually shines.......

What have I been up to lately you ask.....well here is a hint:

You guessed it!  I was in Denver for the National Western Stock Show.  If you have never been it is a must for your bucket list.  Not only do you get to see the best of the best animals in the show industry you get some pretty amazing shopping as well......stay tuned and you will see some top picks from the trade show.  Denver is a great place to meet many people in the livestock industry and I always get to bump into many friends that I have met over the years and even got to meet a social media friend in person Crystal Cattle!

When I say the best of the best this is one of the top shows that people come to to compete for titles and display bulls and promote what you have worked so hard on, your livestock.  One of the bulls that was a big audience attraction was Matt Lautner's bull General Lee
Isn't he handsome?  And quite a tall bull at that!  Are you distracted by the sun and lack of snow in the picture....yeah we couldn't get over it either.

We couldn't have asked for better weather while we were out there.
Do you guys see that sunshine and that we are not wearing coats!!!  It was sunny and 60 degrees...in January.  It sure beats the negative digits we were experiencing back in Ohio!

Now on to the most important part of the trip.....the shopping!!!  The trade show is awesome for home decor, clothing, boots, everything and anything!  Here are a couple of my favorite things that you all need to have because it will make your life complete and full of happiness:
Don't judge me and yes I bought this shower head.  It is huge and like you are showering in the rain forest (I've never showered in the rain forest but this is what I imagine it to be like)  You will find a new found love for showering.....trust me. You can purchase yourself one at www.showerme.com
Twisted X Bomber Boat Shoe......if you are a Sperry lover these will take you to the next level.  I loved Sperry's, then I bought these!  They are a must have!  I wear mine all the time and they feel like you are walking on clouds....for real!

To end the trip and a huge suggestion for any of you that go out and attend the NWSS you really should check out the concerts going on at the Grizzly Rose.  I love the Grizzly Rose because they bring alot of my favorite Texas country red dirt musicians up to play which just shows they know great music!  The weekend we were there they had Josh Abbott Band and Williams Clark Green playing.  You all need to go to iTunes and download their albums because you won't regret it!  Trust Me!
And that has been my recent travels and what has been consuming my life lately!  Stay tuned because the facebook fan page is about to reach 200 followers which means a GIVEAWAY!!!!

Enjoy!



Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Christmas in the Country Gift Exchange Reveal

From -30 degrees to -10 degrees truly does feel like a warm up!  Hard to believe I know but trust me.  You are able to at least walk outside without instantly getting a brain freeze.  Score!



On to the real topic at hand.  While not only participating in a beauty swap I also had the great opportunity to participate in a gift swap hosted by Laurie Link from COUNTRY LINKed and Jamie Rhodes from This Uncharted Rhode

I received a gift from Elizabeth Martin from Circle the Wagons and here was what was inside:

It included hand painted ornaments with cattle and boots on them....2 of my favorite things and beef sticks from a local butcher shop! Beef sticks are always a great snack!  They were delicious.

I was paired up with Laurie Link so be sure to check out her blog HERE to see what I sent her!

Enjoy!

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Holiday Beauty Swap Reveal!

Better late than never right?.........What better way to spend a day snowed in than to catch up on some much needed blog posts!  This holiday season I had the enjoyment of participating in some great gift swaps.  The amazing Crystal Cattle set up this fun Holiday Beauty Swap





We were set up with other bloggers and I got set up with the lovely Brandi Lang from Lipstick and Tractors.  We shared our likes and dislikes and let each other surprise one another with items.  This is not only fun because it involves makeup but also because it allows me to meet other fellow bloggers.  Here are the items that were included in my package:



I received some great sample products such as shampoo and conditioners along with some cleansing creams and face conditioners and lotions.  These are great especially with some of my travels coming up I wont have to pack big bulky bottles.





 I also received some brown mascara and a great new eyeliner from Ulta along with a facial cleanser. I used both the mascara and eyeliner and they are great products!


Last but not least.....the lipstick.  This was my favorite part of the whole package!  I got a pink color and vibrant red!  Both of them look great and I can't wait to wear them out!  The red is MAC Ruby Woo and the pink is Maybelline Color Whisper Berry Ready.  I suggest you all go out and give these a try!!

If you are all sitting there thinking this was a great idea and wishing you could have been involved you are in luck!  Crystal Cattle will be hosting another beauty swap so be sure to check back to her blog often for details!  I hope you all have a great week

Enjoy!

Thursday, January 2, 2014

2013 say what?!

So here we are again with a lovely review of the past year which is naturally late and you are reading in 2014.  Procrastination is not something that I overcame in 2013....clearly

2013 was a pretty solid year.  Not many complaints. I put in a solid year at my new job which meant no more being kicked and chased by cows and being covered in cow poop daily (don't get me wrong I still bred some cattle and peddled a lil bull semen on the side). Their are just some things you can't stay away from. Ha!
  I introduced many farmers to some new shades of lipstick.  It appears many people in sales in Ag tend to be men and this past year I found a new love for red and hot pink lipstick so imagine pulling up on a farm wearing red lipstick.  It is the best conversation starter.

I got to attend the amazing Alltech conference in KY as a guest blogger to cover the events of the conference.  Pretty awesome!  Not only did we get to have beer from the amazing Alltech brewery (bourbon barrel ale is the bomb digity) but I also got to hang out with these fine chaps 
And getting this serape was obviously the highlight of the trip!!
I saw some of the best concerts including but not limited to.....
Casey Donahew Band (don't judge the sweaty hair and multiple chins)
The King-George Strait (yes they were nose bleed seats as to why I had to take pics on the jumbotron)
Jason Boland and the Stragglers (he has an AMAZING voice)

I got to meet and hear speak thee TEMPLE GRANDIN.  This is probably the highlight of the year.  So inspiring and humbling and I pretty much just sat there in awe.

I also did some great traveling which landed me in Texas, North Carolina twice, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Florida, Nebraska, and multiple trips to Chicago.

And last but not least and I'm sure I left out many important events along the way.....I watched my SPARTANS have a kickass football season!

I hope you all had a fabulous 2013 and your 2014 is off to a wonderful start. I wish you all a year of happiness and fulfilled dreams!  And a closet full of good boots.  You can never have too many boots!

Enjoy!