"WESTERN HORSEBACK RIDING"

Western riding evolved from the cattle-working and warfare traditions brought to the Americas by the Spanish Conquistadors, and both the equipment and riding style evolved to meet the working needs of the cowboy on ranches in the American West.

Western riders wear a long sleeved shirt, denim jeans, boots and wide-brimmed cowboy hat.  Cowboy boots, which have pointed toes and higher heels than a traditional riding boot, are designed to prevent the rider’s foot from slipping through the stirrup during a fall, preventing the rider from being dragged.  A rider may wear protective leather leggings called chaps.


Cowboys and Cowgirls love to wear flashy clothing during competitions and events like rodeos.  Cowgirls get especially picky about their boots.  They not only want them to look flashy, they also want them to be comfortable and durable.  I found these nice boots at Le Petit Marche.  She has an online store that sells a variety of items.
Black, blue and red Cimarron cowgirl boots.  These boots are size seven.
According to Le Petit, they have finger holes for ease of pulling them on.  They appear to have never been worn and they still have their Cimarron tag and the original tissue paper inserts.  There are some wrinkles and scuff marks on them.  The upper is leather and the balance is man-made.  So, if you are in the market for a new pair of boots, you should check out her listing.  Good boots are hard to find.

And if you are a horse lover the way I am, you should stop by Ecrater Stores Network and take a look around our other stores.  We have a variety of items for sale.

THE NEW YEAR

The New Year has just turned the corner and most everyone is thinking about New Year’s resolutions.  An effort we put forth each year to try to make our lives better.  Many are thinking about getting more exercise, new diets, getting more organized, etc. But, since most of us shop online, what about making a new year’s resolution to find better places to shop.  I belong to a community of sellers called Ecrater Stores Network.  We have a variety of shops to choose from.  Some of our stores carry both new and pre owned items for sale.  We also have stores that specialize in certain merchandise, such as Embroidery Fashions Boutique, that does embroidered clothing.  We have merchants that carry vintage collectibles such as Katzzs Kloset and Sirocco’s Curios.  Le Petit Marche sells woman’s fashion jewelry, clothing, shoes and purses.

  We have vendors that sell handcrafted items such as Eccentric Thrifter, who makes knitted beanies and scarves for women.  Then we have Bargain Express, that carries many craft items, including books on crafts.  Nothing can compare to something that is handcrafted, whether it be by you, or someone else.  I hope that if you get a minute, you will stop by and check us out.  We are open 24/7 and have great customer service.  I hope everyone has a great year and thanks for stopping by.

THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS TREE

 The perfect Christmas tree is in the eye of the beholder.  All of us remember Charley Brown’s Christmas and how attached he was to his Christmas tree.  Though the rest of us thought it to be scrawny, he thought it was the best Christmas tree he had ever seen.  At the end of the cartoon as each of his friends give it tender loving care; it came to life to prove that the tree was a beautiful as he thought it was.  I think the lesson shown in the favorite Christmas show is that anything can be nurtured with a little TLC, it will blossom and grow into something beautiful, and beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.  Therefore, those Christmas trees that were decorated with love and tradition will always out shine those that were not.But, regardless of how the tree was decorated, it just does not look the same without presents underneath it.  To me, a tree without presents is like a lost soul without love.  We have all been out shopping for that perfect gift for that someone special and we always get that warm feeling whenever we place it under the tree.  However, try as we might, sometimes we fall short in finding that perfect gift and some of us have resorted to just giving money, or gift cards in place of a store purchased gift.  If you are one that has been bestowed a gift of money for Christmas, you are probably in the market for finding that special item for yourself that you would not otherwise buy.  The Ecater Stores Network has a wide range of sellers with a variety of merchandise to choose from.  I would like to share some of my favorite store with you.

          Katzzs Kloset    An online store with Vintage Collectibles     Embroidery Fashions   Embroidered Shirts, aprons, onies, sweat shirts and more.  She also does custom orders.

  Le Petit Marche Has an online variety store. She also has vintage merchandise.

  Bargin Express She has vintage coins, books, books for crafts, glass collectibles and sewing patterns.

   Eccentric Thrifter She has baby items, books, Hawaiian shirts, games and puzzles, handmade toboggans and scarves, and a wide range of novelty cake pans.

 Sirocco's Curios Paul has Jewelry, books and magazines, and vintage collectibles.    

So, if you get a chance, you should stop by.  There is no telling what you may find there.  I hope everyone has a great Holiday Season and I wish everyone a "Very Merry Christmas". 

An Angel to Watch Over Me

When I was growing up, my life always just seemed so terrible.  We did not have much and my mother was always working just to make ends meet.  Times were certainly tough.  When you are small, the world seems such a big place and when things do not go the way you want them to, you are always day dreaming of a better life, or wishing for one.  I was always wishing that I had an angel watching over me.  Someone to make the terrible things go away and make my world a better place to live.  Now that my mother has passed onto the next life, I like to think she is watching over me, keeping me safe from harm.
I see the sadness in this little boy’s eyes and I believe that is what he is “Day Dreaming” about, an angel to watch over him.  I found this little guy at Le Petit Marche.  She has a variety of items for sale and I hope you will take the time to check her store out.

If you get the time, you should check out our other shops at Ecrater Stores Network.  Our stores have a variety of merchandise for sale and it would be worth the visit.      

"DOTS"

The following is a definition of a dot:  written or printed point, such as dotting your “I” , a speck, or spot, a small amount, (such as a dot of butter), an internet punctuation mark that separates the components of an Internet address, a communication mark used in Morse code, a symbol placed after a note in music which increases its value by half, a mark indicating logical conjunction, which joins compound sentences when both elements are true.  

But, most of us think of dots as in Polka Dots.  Le Petit Marche, a fellow store owner in our Ecrater Stores Network,  posted the history of "Polka Dots" on her blog that I found very interesting.  To me, a dot can be a small circle and lots of things come in small circles.  One of the most popular things in this category are  sequins.  They fall in and out of popularity.  When I visited Le Petit Marche’s store, I found this pretty red and white sequined skirt.

Solitaire Sequin Skirt    If you do not like the red and white one, she also has this pretty blue and white Solitaire Sequin Skirt. She has an excellent feedback score of 100%, so you can shop at her store with confidence.  If you are not in the market for clothing, her store also has a variety of other items to choose from.