DIY Interactive Tap Light Wall Instillation

My favorite kind of art invites folks to take part in it. These interactions allow people to let lose and get creative in a group setting. This tap light DIY is a great idea for a party activity or a small gathering.
You’ll need a fairly dark space, masking tape, sticky tabs, and a bunch of tap lights.
Using the tape, delineate where you’ll stick the lights on the wall. Put the sticky tabs on the back of the lights and adhere them. The tape will also help with a speedy removal at the end of the night. Simply pull the tape off the wall and the tap lights will come off with it.
Continue hanging the tap lights until you’ve used them all. You can create a large uniform group like I did below, or you can make more of an abstract pattern across the space.
Now you’re ready to create designs in light! Have fun!

Packing for Portland: The Carhartt Women’s Guide

Packing for Portland means preparing for weather. I spent most of last week there, enjoying spring and the rain that comes with it. Take a look at the essential Carhartt items I took with me. When you have reliable rainwear, you can focus on the beautiful scenery around you. I’ll tell you what, I put the Mountrail Jacket to the test. The Storm Defender® waterproof breathable membrane is designed to keep you dry and not too stuffy.

DIY: How To Muck Your Horse’s Stall

Mucking is an important part of caring for your horse. A clean and healthy environment is crucial in their well-being. You will need a pitchfork, a broom, a shovel, and a wheelbarrow. Clean each stall once a day, twice if you can. The more often you do, the easier your job will be.
Ellen is wearing the perfect mucking outfit in the photos above. The Carhartt Women’s Sandstone Active Jac is ideal for chilly chores in the barn. It’s extremely durable and flannel lined. The Norfolk Henley is a comfortable cotton shirt and the Original-Fit Canvas Crawford Dungaree has a contoured waistline to prevent gapping as you move about and is slightly fitted through the hip and thigh.Now to the gritty details. Follow these steps:

• Use a pitchfork to sift through the bedding to weed out the manure.
  When cleaning a stall bedded with straw, use a mental pitchfork.
  When dealing with shavings, use a plastic pitchfork. 
• Move everything that’s clean into the back and corners of the area,
  and toss everything that’s dirty towards the door.
  The more clean bedding you’re able to reuse, the more money you save.
• Rake out the dirty section and place into the manure spreader.
  Use a shovel to pick up any bits that may have fallen through. 
• Sweep the center of the stall clean. Let the stall air out and dry.
  Use absorbent deodorizer on any wet spots.
• Make sure the ground is entirely dry.
  Let your horse wander about all day as it airs out.
  Horses need all the time they can get outdoors.
• Spread out the remaining clean bedding and add fresh straw if needed.
  Now you’re welcome to let your friend back in. 

“but I don’t think I would be near as happy working 9-5 in a suit”

Meet Josey Butler. She grew up on a rural Missouri cattle farm and now lives and works in Texas, training horses and competing in rodeos. Josey is a fireball if I’ve ever met one. So much skill and determination flow from her as she steps into the arena. She’s confident and bold. Her horses knows who’s boss. She’s authoritative and filled with compassion and understanding at the same time. The relationship with a horse and his master is so complex and unlike anything else. When I asked Josey to explain that connection to me, I was blown away by her response.

“Being the weird horse girl growing up has taken me places nationally a lot of people will never see. It’s extremely hard work, people think you just ride horses all day, and there is so much more too it than that. You have to be a part time vet and part time therapist to a 1200 lb animal who can’t just tell you what’s wrong. You have to be a carpenter, plumber, electrician, and mechanic because things don’t always malfunction during business hours, and running a horse training facility relies on all those things daily. You’re also an accountant and secretary because the government still wants taxes, and there is an amazing amount of paperwork involved in both billing and accounts payable when your entering events and such. On the other hand when you’re recieving checks, or an award for a job well done for a client, or even just sitting on a great horse at the end of the day, watching the sunset– it’s unbelievably satisfying. Most people who train in the horse industry never end up on the cover of Forbes but I don’t think I would be near as happy working 9-5 in a suit.”

A life and career driven by passion and a solid work ethic is worth the sweat. Find what drives you and make it happen. Be grateful for the little things you do day-to-day that remind you why you’ve chosen the path you’re on. Find joy in the sunsets.

see Josey’s work gear here: Carhartt Women’s Norfolk Henley, Marlinton Vest, & Carhartt Women’s Jasper Jeans