Project Fodder (and a Kentucky Trip Wrap-Up)

Eek! Can’t believe it’s been a week since my last post. The trip to Kentucky was fabulous and I got back very, very late Monday night. Since then I haven’t been feeling particularly well and have had little energy to devote to anything but taking care of my son and sleeping.

This is probably because we (meaning me, and my friends Sheila and Diana) had a non-stop schedule for the five days I was in Kentucky. We visited several major farms in the Lexington area to see favorite stallions, attended the very posh Fasig-Tipton November sale (the average sales price for a horse at the sale was $314,000—the sales topper went for $2.3 million!), and also hit a wonderful charity event at Old Friends.  

And of course, there was the Breeders’ Cup on Friday and Saturday in Louisville. Sheila, Diana and I wore matching Zenyatta bobble-ear hats that Sheila designed, along with Zenyatta jerseys, for the Saturday races. The outfits garnered us tons of attention: we were interviewed by all of the local media outlets and by an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker who is working on a documentary about Zenyatta! Lots of fans asked to take pictures with us and we overheard many people refer to us as "the Zenyatta Girls." How funny is that?!  

Photo courtesy of the Louisville Courier-Journal. We're the gals with the ears! Sheila's on the far left, I'm in the middle and Diana is second from right. These other Zenyatta fans traveled from Atlanta and made their own rhinestone cowgirl hats to show their support for Zenyatta.

The marquee race of Saturday was one for the ages. Though Zenyatta lost by a short head in the Breeders’ Cup Classic to end her undefeated streak, she truly lost nothing in defeat and showed she was the best horse in the race after a troubled trip. If you haven't seen it, watch the race video to appreciate how much Zenyatta overcame to lose by only a few inches.

Okay, now that you’ve  stayed with me through nearly two posts' worth of horse racing babble, I’ll bring things back around to decorating and crafting. :)

Over the last few weeks I’ve hit up Goodwill with a modicum of success. There are two Goodwill stores in my immediate area and neither are particularly cheap places to shop. Who really wants to spend $1.99 on a plate? Really? That should be $.99--tops. Or better yet, $.25. Can't wait 'til yard sale season returns...

However, I did pick up these items:

I have great plans for all of these finds, thanks to the Internet inspirations of other talented and creative women whose blogs I enjoy.

First on tap are those wire baskets. They’re not the coveted locker baskets, but close enough that I will borrow an idea from Urban Farmgirl to make linen-look liners for them.  How cute is that ruffle?!  I love the touch of femininity it brings to an otherwise industrial item.

Next are the clipboards. I scored two and will be keeping an eye out for more to replicate the inspiration wall created at Ashley’s Thrifty Living. Since these clipboards have seen better days, I believe I will adorn them with a bit of spray paint and scrapbook paper or cloth to pretty them up. Thanks for the idea, Ashley!

Now, I admit I squealed when I found three coordinating glass canisters because I’ve been dying lately to do one of two things to glass: etch it or use chalkboard paint. The etching will have to wait because I've been totally inspired by Miss Mustard Seed, who enhanced a set of plain canisters by painting chalkboard labels on them. I’ve always liked labeled canisters, but these offer such flexibility and the opportunity for customization. Genius!

As for the laundry basket, I actually haven’t seen someone do the project I have in my head. Though it doesn't look terrible in the photo, this basket is Hideous. It will get a coat of paint, followed by a good distressing, and then I would like to paint a laundry-related word, or perhaps a French motif, on the side. However, I’m not sure how successful painting on a somewhat convex surface will go. Has anyone tried it before? If you have, please let me know how it went!

Well, these little projects will keep my busy, won't they?  Fortunately, they won't delay my next post, which will feature a total facelift of my desk. I've been making progress, albeit slowly--okay, more like at a snail's pace, to finish my office. It is the only truly feminine place in my entire house as 1) I've claimed it as my own and refuse to share it like I do the rest of the house with boys, and 2) every single piece of furniture in the room is painted...swoon! By finally finishing the desk, the room is technically complete. All I need to do now is accessorize and hang a few things. Who knows how long it will take me to complete the finishing touches, but give me through the weekend and I'll at least get that post up with before-and-after pics of my newly painted, curvaceous blue desk. Can't wait to share it with you!

Zenyatta Fever!

I’m writing this post from an airplane bound for Lexington, Kentucky!

I’m also working on two posts (one on crafty/project ideas inspired by some of my favorite blogs and another on a desk makeover I just completed last night!) but I just have to let you guys know what I’m up to these next few days.

This weekend is the prestigious Breeders’ Cup at historic Churchill Downs (home of the Kentucky Derby.) The Breeders’ Cup is horse racing’s biggest event, consisting of 14 races worth more than $25 million dollars. I’m meeting up with several other horse racing friends/fanatics for a weekend of fun, and to cheer on this horse:

This is Zenyatta. Make that, Queen Z. :)

You may have heard of her. She was just featured on 60 Minutes this past Sunday, and was named one of the 20 most influential females of 2010 by O Magazine.

Zenyatta is a 6-year-old Thoroughbred mare who is a perfect 19-for-19 in three years of racing. She won the biggest race of the Breeders’ Cup—the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1)—last year over males and she’s back to defend her title on Saturday. She’ll be facing one of the best fields in the history of the Classic and Horse of the Year honors will be decided by the outcome of this race.

Zenyatta is a diva, a performer, an entertainer and a running machine. This mare dwarfs nearly all of her foes at more than 17 hands tall (that makes her more than 5-1/2 feet tall at the top of her shoulder alone; she’s easily 7-1/2 feet tall at the tips of her ears.) 

She’s self-possessed, exceedingly intelligent and prances dramatically before each of her races, eating up the adoration of her fans and intimidating her competition. 

Her come-from-behind running style is sometimes panic-inducing (will she get there in time?!?) and always thrilling because she has managed to find the finish line first every time. No matter what challenge faces her, whether she has to go very wide off the final turn to make her, dodge traffic in the stretch, or chase down a loose-on-the-lead pacesetter trying to sprint away, she ALWAYS gets to the wire first.

In an era where most top-class Thoroughbreds race for a year or a year-and-a-half tops, and where it’s common for them to make fewer than 10 career starts, Zenyatta is an anomaly for her longevity in the sport and for her continuing durability. (Much credit obviously goes to the horse for her talent, but also to her owners, trainer, groom and other connections, who have done everything to keep her healthy, happy and fit.) And of course, there’s the undefeated record. Should she complete a repeat in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday evening (check it out on ESPN at 6:45), she will retire with a perfect record of 20 wins in 20 starts. No American Thoroughbred racehorse, racing at the top of the sport as Zenyatta has done from the beginning of her career, has put together such an impressive record in more than 100 years. Even 20th century greats like Secretariat, Man O’ War and Citation, couldn’t avoid the taste of defeat in their illustrious careers.

So, here’s to Zenyatta in her quest for perfection!