Crystal Cattle

The start of 101 in 1001

2012-02-29T13:25:00.001-06:00

Write and share goals.

Last week I shared with you that I had completed my first 101 in 1001 goal list. I had start the list way back in 2009, and 1001 days have since passed. You can read more about my first list under the new 101 in 1001 tab. And let me know if you have your own 101 in 1001 goal list published. I would love to link to your page.

My new list is posted on the side of the blog and I can't wait to get going on it, but first I thought I would share the reason or importance behind some of the goals.

Beginning date: February 29, 2012
Completion Date: November 14, 2015

1. Travel to 3 new states - I have traveled to 26 states, but it has been awhile since I have traveled to a brand new state. I haven't spent much time in the NW corner of the U.S. or along the Eastern side of the U.S. Lot of opportunity for a new adventure.

5. Travel outside the U.S. (Canada doesn't count) I am getting the travel itch again. I would love to go back to Australia in the next 1001 days, but South American would also be an awesome experience. Time to start saving again and make a plan.

18. Complete Pinterest Projects. I love Pinterest. And my boards are filled with recipes and DIY projects. Time to start creating!

27. Donate to K-State/28. Donate to Butler. Giving back to the schools that offered me so much is really important to me. I know I paid an awful lot to attend those schools, but there were also alumni before me that gave a lot for me to be able to secure scholarships and complete my goals.

44. Read devotionals everyday. This is part of my Lent project. I gave up chips (I LOVE tortilla chips), but I also wanted to add something. So far I have missed a few days, but I will read for 30 days straight.

51. Book speaking gigs. This past year I was blessed with the opportunity to speak to some agriculture organizations about my experiences of sharing agriculture's story through social media. I've had to turn down a couple events this year due to prior commitments, but I can't wait to connect with other groups and individuals.

58. Meet social media friends in real life. This was one of my goals last time, but now I am upping the number. I love being able to connect with the people that I have spent so much time reading about or tweeting back and forth with.

59. Offer to judge a 4-H or FFA event. Growing up in Canada we just had 4-H. However, it was a huge part of my life. I would love to get more involved in my community and state through these organizations.

70. Golf 18 holes. I can't wait to get the clubs out and start golfing again this year. I picked up the sport two years again, but didn't find a ton of time for the greens last summer. Hoping that will all change.

77. Become a USA resident. Once the Boy and I are married we will start the resident process. Residency is like citizenship, but you can vote. Through school and now I have been on educational and work visas.

85. Make a 101 in 1001 List with Jon. The Boy and I have already started working on one, but we need to get a few more goals posted.

100. Give updates on my list. I wasn't great about this last time, but I hope to do much better this go round. Hopefully, it will get me closer to finishing all 101 goals!

Dan Dagget, Author and Environmentalist, has something to say about agriculture

2012-02-28T16:00:00.003-06:00

A former member of the Sierra Club

What happens when cows graze the land? Do they do more harm than good? Would the land be better without them or human intervention? As a farmer and care taker of the land I don't think so, but let's hear was Dan Dagget (a former self-proclaimed "eco-radical" and member of the Sierra Club) has to say.

Livestock are amazing animals, and are important part of the environment. Most of the land that you will find cattle on isn't suitable for growing crops. And I would sure like to look a pasture full of cattle rather than another city spreading its fingers into rural areas.

I love Dan's line in the video about how the environmentalist have to be as accountable as the ranchers and farmers. Environmentalists and ranchers need to work together to create an environment that we can all continue to enjoy.

To view more I am Angus videos click here.

Turquoise Thursday: Turquoise and Top Shop Shopping

2012-02-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

Out on the town in Chicago.

Remember when I talked about the really great corn conference I attended back in January? Well the quick run over to Top Shop was pretty good, too. And everything looked great with these earrings!

My friend Karen sells Guy & Eva and sent me these beautiful turquoise earrings.

Chicago was my first opportunity to wear them, and I received so many compliments.

And I think they will go perfect with this blue Top Shop dress I found for our wedding rehearsal dinner.

I fell in love with this white suit jacket, but it looked better on the hanger than me so I left it behind.

The store was full of these chunky knit sweaters. I am excited about the trend for the spring.

And I thought this white blouse was gorgeous, but I stuck with my budget.

What trends are you excited for this spring? Any new turquoise pieces you have added to your wardrobe?

HSUS lacks farming experience

2012-02-22T16:48:00.001-06:00

I don't like HSUS.

Today I'm flying above the clouds and headed to Georgia for a youth livestock show. I love being around youth who are passionate about agriculture.

Today, I read a really good article wrote by a farmer and their thoughts on HSUS (Humane Society of the United States). Take a look.

http://www.farmanddairy.com/news/lack-of-farming-experience-makes-hsus-unqualified/34764.html

101 in 1001 comes to an end.

2012-02-21T09:11:00.000-06:00

Checking things off the list.

Well, just over 1001 days ago I posted that list that is found on the left hand side of my blog. The goal was to complete 101 goals in 1001 days. By posting it for the world to see it was going to make me a more accountable.

How did things shake out?

I completed 66 of my 101 goals. Some of my most memorable?

Falling in love. Way back in 2009 love, marriage, etc. was not in the picture. But now as I write this the Boy and I are under 50 days until our wedding. I couldn't ask for a better partner or best friend.

Despite K-State losing, I had a blast attending my first K-State away game in Lincoln, Nebraska. Good thing I went because with UNL leaving the Big 12 there definitely won't be another reason to see that stadium. p.s. K-State tailgating still wins.

Getting to travel to Australia had been a dream of mine for a long time. The trip that I took in 2012 was amazing. I wouldn't trade the friendships I made or the experiences I had for anything. I can't wait to go back one day.

Sleeping in a tent was awesome. The Boy completely surprised me by setting up a tent by our cornfield.

Attending church 12 times in 12 months was a big personal accomplishment for me. With my travel schedule things can get a little hectic, but I loved the church I found when I was living in Missouri. I haven't gotten as involved since I moved to Iowa, but hope to change that soon.

I also partially completely 11 of the goals. I wish I would have made the push to finish that last little bit of these goals (especially getting that last MAC make-over). However, I am not giving up on these yet. I am so close to reaching one of my financial goals that I'm going to keep on pushing through.

Now for the things that I just wasn't very good at.

Sending out birthday cards. I am the worst person ever at buying cards (birthday, Valentine's, Easter, etc) and not sending them out. Ask any of my family or the Boy. It is not one of my strengthens!

I tried so many times to read USA Today online everyday for a week. I really enjoying reading the paper (even though I do it on my iPhone). I'm going to have to work on this.

I wasn't super successful on my fitness or athletic goals. Oops.

And scrapbooking wasn't so successful. I love looking through my junior college scrapbook, I need to get the others done.

I am glad that I inspired so many of you to start your own lists. I'll be posting my new list soon, and I one of my goals is that the Boy and I will do a list together. Here is another great 1001 days. I hope you are reaching lots of your own goals.

Farm Life Never Stops even when you have a party dress on

2012-02-15T06:37:00.002-06:00

Farming in heels.

This weekend the Boy was a usher in our good friends' wedding. It was excited to be a part of their wedding with our big day less than two months away. I have been tweeting and instagramming (yeah I just made that a verb) about us getting two heifers and a bull ready for the Iowa Beef Expo sale.

On Saturday, the Boy and I worked together on the cattle until he had to leave to go put his black and hot pink tux on, while I finished up on the cattle and met him at the church.

This is what I like to call the barn to party dress transformation.

Barn clothes to wedding clothes in an hour. I also smelled much better.

The dress is from Express (bought last year) and the silver pearls are from my favorite western store in Kansas City, Nigro's

The wedding was wonderful, but we knew at some point we would have to go back to the farm to do night chores. Cattle get hungry and their needs always come before ours. So after supper, and when the first dance was over we slipped out of the wedding.

Doesn't the Boy look handsome.

One of my Twitter followers said that the calves are going to expect their feed on silver platters next time. Our wedding photographer also saw this picture, and asked if we could do this for our wedding? The fact is that on our wedding day the calves are still going to need to be fed. So there is a pretty good chance I might be seen in a wedding dress holding a feed bucket! I wouldn't trade life on the farm for anything.

Guest Post: Cows, Cupcakes & Clearance

2012-02-14T07:05:00.001-06:00

Welcome Jordan Kuhn!

Miss Jordan & Missy

Wow, the past couple days there has been quite a stir on the Crystal Cattle blog. My post about Chipotle's Grammy's commercial has caused a lot of reaction from people with varying opinions. However, today we are going to throw a little sweetness into the mix for Valentine's Day.

I "met" Jordan though Instagram, and can't wait to meet her in real life one day. She is a pretty amazing girl that loves cattle as much as I do, and is passionate about her cupcakes and shopping the clearance racks. She even shares one of her favorite recipes with us!

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I grew up in Shelbyville, Indiana until I was eight. When my parents split I moved to Greenfield, IN with my mom and step-dad John Gunn. That’s where my passion for agriculture began. Here we raise cattle, hogs, corn and soybeans. This coming fall I hope to attend Purdue University and major in agriculture communications. I’m entering my last and 10th year in 4-H. This past year I was the county fair queen. I’m an active member of Jr. Leaders, the 2^nd Vice President of the Indiana Jr. Beef Cattle Association, Vice President of the Indiana Jr. Shorthorn Association and was 2011 Indiana Shorthorn Lassie Queen. In high school I was a varsity cheerleader and a member of Best Buddies.

2. What is your favorite thing about agriculture?

The “F’s”... Family, friends, and foundation. I feel there’s no other vehicle like agriculture that leads you into a bright future. Through agriculture my family spreads the wealth and knowledge of our products to our friends - farmers and city folk alike. What I have gained through living on a 3^rd generation family farm is something I can hardly explain.

3. If you could tell consumer's one thing about agriculture what would that be?

I’d tell consumers to keep in mind that those eggs didn’t magically appear in the grocery, rather they “poofed” out of a chicken. I think consumers forget the from field to fork aspect. With the world consuming more and growing faster than we can put food on their plates, we have to be mindful of who’s making that happen.

4. Do you have a favorite heifer on the farm?

Bon Qui Qui

I do. Her name is Bon Qui Qui. (The name is an inside joke. Watch Bon Qui Qui at King Burger on YouTube.) She was my show heifer from last year, she wasn’t a big winner. I just loved her pink nose and spunky attitude, plus she calved a heifer for us this year!

5. I'm always seeing your cupcake pictures on Instagram, how did you get interested in baking?

I’ve been baking since my first year in 4-H in 2003. It was something my mom and I liked to do and it kept us together. We were always baking and the boys were always eating! I got into cupcakes two Christmas’s ago when I got a cupcake maker. I just think they’re so personal and cute! I recently got a KitchenAid mixer that I use quite often, her name is Mrs. Mixalot.

6. What is the best cupcake you have ever eaten?

There’s a place called Gigi’s at a local fashion mall and myyy oh myyyy do they make good cupcakes. They have thee best red velvet cupcakes with a pudding surprise inside. My mouth is watering just talking about it.

7. What are you favorite places to get a deal?

Macy’s. Just about everytime I go in I buy something on sale. And if it’s not on sale I usually don’t buy! TJ Max is a place I always like to hit as well. I call it – looking better for less.

8. Now on the other end of the spectrum what is one thing you love to splurge on?

Jeans. I own more jeans than anything else. Big Stars, Rock Revivals and Sevens are my favorite. I think splurging on jeans is a must; a good pair of jeans is a necessity in everyone’s closet. They’re easy to dress up or down. One day I’d love to be able to buy a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes. (No riding in the tractor in those bad boys.)

RED VELVET CUPCAKES

Makes 18

2 ¼ cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

2 (1 ounce) bottles red food coloring

3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

1 ½ cups sugar

½ cup butter

2 eggs

1 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp baking soda

1 container cream cheese icing (Yes I cheat on the icing)

1. Preheat oven 350°F and ling your baking pan with paper baking cups.

2. Combine flour & salt in medium bowl. Stir in food coloring into cocoa in small bowl until blended and smooth. Combine buttermilk and vanilla in separate bowl.

3. Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl with electric mixer at a medium speed, 4 minutes or until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add cocoa mixture; add flour alternately with buttermilk mixture. Beat until blended.

4. Combine vinegar and baking soda in small bowl; gently fold into batter with spatula or spoon (don’t use mixer). Spoon batter into prepared baking cups.

5. Bake 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into it comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Decorate as you wish!

I made these red velvet Valentine’s Day cupcakes and used fondant to jazz it up! Ready made fondant can be found at a craft store or you can make it (which I do not recommend doing, very messy). I wasn’t very good at piping to begin with but practice makes perfect.

Working with fondant.

Give Jordan a big welcome, and check her out on Twitter @Kuhngirl

Chipotle your Grammy commercial still doesn't change my mind.

2012-02-12T21:07:00.005-06:00

Ok, time to revisit the subject.

Things I would like to point out.

1. I have not eaten at Chipotle for years. You can read about that here.
2. I support consumers having options on the method their food was raised - organic, natural, conventional (my family and the boy's family and 99% of the food on the grocery store would be conventional). And no I don't consider our farm a factory farm.
3. I can't stand when groups, individuals companies have to criticize, falsify information, etc. to make their decisions look like the better choice. I get marketing, I am a marketer but to me this is not the way to go about it.

There are so many things wrong with the picture painted in the Chipotle Grammy commercial (this commercial has been out for awhile, just not on T.V.) that I don't know where to start.

0:21 into the video

Pigs, I hope you don't live in Iowa because with the windchill this morning it was 1 degree F (-17 C). If you were outside roaming pastures you probably would have died.

0:36 into the video

Yes, cattle can be found in barns. Dairy cattle are often in these huge, and I mean huge open aired barns, and they can roam around eat when they want to, and have these amazing bed packs to lay on. Some farms have waterbeds for their dairy cows to lay on. If you would like to ask a dairy farmer more about how their cows live please let me know. I will put you in touch with one, and I am sure they would love to let you tour their farm so you can see first hand how these cattle are living.

The beef cattle we raise only come into the barn if they are about to calve and might need a little help. Cattle in feedlot spend time in spacious pens, with windbreaks to shield them from the elements. And those feedlot cattle are only in those pens for a few months of their lives (average lifespan around 13-16 months I would say). Yes, we eat feedlot cattle.

0:48 in the video

I am sure this part is referring to the hormones that SOME farmers feed their livestock. These hormones are already naturally occurring in livestock. There is actually more hormones in a head of cabbage than a steak, by A LOT. This is an in-depth subject so if you would like more information please let me know. And if you choose (you have a choice) to buy beef, chicken, pork, etc. without hormones that is perfectly fine. Just look for hormone free on the label.

0:58 in the video

I live in eastern Iowa, and I am pretty glad my food comes from across the country. If it didn't I would be pretty limited on what I would find at my grocery store in the winter. p.s. I can't even keep a house plant alive so I am pretty sure a garden wouldn't be so successful.

I know you shouldn't blog when you are angry, but I am. My friend and family are farmers. I care about the food that I am raising for you to consume, and although we only have 20 cows, we are planning to grow. I support feedlots, dairies, pork farmers. I know families that have thousands of head of cattle, might seem like what consumers and media call a factory farm, but those people are families just like me. Ask a farmer about your food not Chipotle.

Update #1:

A quote from Chipotle's annual report -

“We do, however, face challenges associated with pursuing Food With Integrity. For example, current economic conditions have led to natural chicken and steak supply shortages. It can take longer to identify and secure relationships with suppliers meeting our criteria, and there are higher costs and other risks associated with purchasing naturally raised or sustainably grown ingredients. The growing time for naturally raised meat and sustainably grown vegetables can be longer. Herd losses can also be greater when animals are not treated with antibiotics and hormones and field losses can be higher for organically grown produce. Given the costs associated with natural and sustainable farming practices, and recently due to decreased demand as a result of the weak economic environment, many large suppliers have not found it economical to pursue business in this area.”

Read more from this great blog - Beltway Beef.

Update #2:

Here is a very interesting post from a pig farmer about the type of barns they used in that past and what they use now. Thanks Chris Chinn.

Update #3:

I have always enjoyed having the option of having anonymous comments. This way it makes it easier for those without a blogger account to comment. However, those that are continuing to comment anonymous and attach me, you just lost the privilege for everyone. I have respect for other people's opinion and love discussion we can all learn from each other.

And the winner is!

2012-02-10T10:17:00.000-06:00

We must really love jewelry.

Holy cow, there were more than 100 entries in the Valentine's giveaway! I am sure you are all very anxious to find out who's Friday just got a lot better.

After quickly figuring out all the entries, and using Random.org to pick a winner, lucky #22 it was.

Hallie you are our big winner!

If you love music, fashion and Texas Hallie's blog is a great one to check out.

Can't wait to hear which of the necklaces you will be selecting.

And this really doesn't have anything to do with the giveaway, but I was able to do a little shopping in Kansas City this week. I ran out of powder awhile ago, and have definitely noticed that my foundation isn't lasting as long throughout the day. So glad to have this MAC powder bag in my bag. It gives nice coverage, and makes you face look so smooth. Happy Friday!

Giveaway: Turquoise Statement Necklaces

2012-02-06T11:24:00.003-06:00

That is a lot of turquoise, and I like it.

Don't you just love finding absolutely wonderful turquoise jewelry to ooh and ahh over, or am I the only one? Etsy once again proves to be a perfect place to find amazing turquoise statement pieces. I mean just look at these necklaces from Noble House Designs.

I first saw this necklace on The Atlantic Pacific blog. This is a double layer necklace of pink spikes and blue green tear drops. Remember this Turquoise Thursday post from a couple of weeks ago - spikes are in.

Let's all say woah at the same time. This is the Turquoise Vintage II necklace.

Now for the really good news. Noble House Designs wants to do a Valentine's Giveaway. Below are the three necklaces you will have to choose from. Which one would you pick?

They call this the TC necklace. I call this fabulous.

And these are Noble House Design's two Valentine's Day inspired necklaces.

Red and Pink Vintage

Magenta Necklace. The perfect way to add a pop of color.

How to enter.

1. You must follow the Crystal Cattle Blog and Noble House Design Blog to enter, and leave a comment on this blog saying you have. Along with who is your Valentine?

Added entries.

2. Blog about this giveaway, and leave me a comment on this post saying you have.

3. Follow Noble House Designs on Facebook, and leave me a comment on this post saying you have.

4. Follow Crystal Cattle on Facebook, leave me a comment on this post saying you have.

The contest will close Friday, February 10, at 10 a.m CST. Good luck!

An Award and a Winner

2012-02-05T10:54:00.001-06:00

Drumroll please.

I hope you have all had a great weekend. The Boy and I have spent a ton of time at the barn working on the two Hereford heifers and bull that we will be selling at the Iowa Beef Expo next week. You can view the videos that I took of them on the JJB Cattle Co. blog.

Anyhoo, it is time to announce the winner from my Turquoise Thursday Notecard giveaway and I was nominated for a Versatile Blogger Award by Farm Chic Logic because of this post, so I have to complete a few questions.

First the winner is...

Sarah from The House that Ag Built! Be sure to check out Sarah's blog. She recently posted these delicious Mason Jar Pies! Sarah, under my About Me is my email. Shoot me your address and I'll get these in the mail for you.

Now onto the Versatile Blogger Award Questions. Thanks you Farm Chic Logic for thinking of me!

7 Tidbits about Me

1. I love pickles, and you can find the best fried pickles at So Long's Saloon in Manhattan, KS.

2. I am a Nikon camera girl, but am now learning how to use a Canon because that is what I have for work. My goal is to be proficient with both brands.

3. I am getting married to my best friend in 62 days and I can't wait.

4. I get addicted to saving money. I'll still go out shopping, but I get a high from getting a deal or watching my savings account rise.

5. I'm horrible at finishing books. I don't know how many I have started and have yet to finish.

6. I am crazy about make-up like other girls are crazy about shoes. MAC is my favorite brand.

7. I can't stand the noise of other people clipping their nails. I can do my own just fine.

Enjoy the last part of your weekend. And get excited about the next because I have another giveaway in store for you!

Corn Report: Life lessons learned in Chicago

2012-02-03T18:49:00.003-06:00

Really good insight

No matter where I go I
always seem to find a cow.

As I mention this week I took part in the Tomorrow's Top Producer conference put on by Farm Journal. If you aren't from a farm keep reading, I think you will really enjoy some of the information. It was one of the best conferences I have ever attended. I wish I could have stayed for rest of the event, but the Boy was staying, and I had a job back home and cattle to look after. (We are really lucky to have someone that helps us out when we are away, but try not to rely on him too much.)

Here are the little nuggets of life impacting advice. And if you don't read all the way through at least scroll down to look at the pictures.

You can have everything in life you want, if you just help enough people get what they want – Zig Ziglar A philosophy I think everyone should incorporate into their lives.

It's who you know, who you read, who you share information with, and good timing that will get you to the top. Why do the same eight famers choose to sit with each other every day at breakfast. Expand your network.

Allowing people to make meaningful decisions allows them to take ownership.

Giving your employees a sense of entitlement allows them to take accountability.

Chris heads up our farm's
marketing group.

Not making a decision, is making a decision.

Are you a win-win person? Strive to be the business that always goes more than half way.

When times are good for the company, time should be spent preparing for the downturn. There have been cycles in business for 200 years, and as long as people continue to have greed and fear there will continue to be cycles.

There is not a human that doesn't have fear, but courage outcomes fear.

The farms that are growing the fastest are the best communicators.

Most popular communication style for farmer is the Teller. Their communication tendencies are fast-paced & outspoken and questioning & skeptical. The fear is loss of control. They need to know who is in control, can be very direct (this sometimes leads to hurting others feelings, and are results oriented. They represent 40% of all farmers.

Planner is 2nd most popular #farmer communication style - cautious & reflective and accepting & warm. They manage their fear of change through planning for it. They avoid communication conflict. 26% make up this group.

19% of farmers are detailed communicators. They are questioning & skeptical and cautious & reflective. They stick with what is proven. A downfall is that they can have analysis paralysis. They can also be sensitive to suggestions and take it as criticism.

Only 15% of farmers are socializer communicators. (This is me). The will let you know what's on their minds. Fast-paced & outspoken and love being around people. Find their ideas by talking out loud. Fear not being accepted and they need to be recognized.

70% of farms or agribusiness will not be passed from 1st to 2nd generation because of failure in succession planning. The failure rate from 2nd to 3rd is 90%, and 3rd to 4th is 96%. Pretty scary fact.

What is your praise/criticism ratio

Three kinds of toxic employees that have to be removed from companies – victims, know it alls, non-believers

People can change, but you can't change them. They have to want to.

Those that are part of the generation that are 35 years and young fear failure the most. The situation may work out, but it is not the exact way they envisions they find that to be failure.

Whoever paints the best vision will be the person that people will follow.

I will definitely be attending more of the Farm Journal series of seminars and conferences. Even though I might not know how to plant a field yet (ok let's be honest, I don't know how to really do anything with a tractor) the information that these speakers gave really impacted me.

Now for a photo recap:

This is what you where to a farmer's conference

I think I could have counted on one hand how many female participants there was at the conference.

These conference usually mean a few good meals. The first night the Boy and I went to Morton's (an awesome steak house, but Sullivan's is still my number one). The second night was The Chicago Firehouse. Definitely recommend it.

We stayed at the Chicago Hilton, which is an amazing hotel, with tons of history. Every President of the United States since the 1940s has stayed at this hotel, and more specifically the Conrad Hilton suite was the room most resided in, including the Obamas. We got to go up to the Conrad! This is the beautiful view from the two story room. If you looked off to the right you could see the helicopter landing pad.

This was the staircase that brought you down to the bedroom floor. It was also the staircase that was used in scenes from Home Alone 2.

I think I could make use of a bathroom like this.

I have never seen so many beautiful chandeliers in a hotel. The main ballroom was once a skating rink, and could fit 10 two story houses in it.

Farmer's helping feed the world.

Wait, how did that get in there? I mean maybe I took a quick trip over to Nordstorm's and Top Shop and did a little bit of shopping. I didn't buy this beautiful Kate Spade purse, but next week I'll show you what I did find.

It was a whirlwind of a trip, but I left energized and ready to make a difference. I hope you have a great weekend, and don't forget you have until 6 PM CST on Saturday to get you entries in for my Turquoise Thursday Giveaway.

Turquoise Thursday Note Card Giveaway

2012-02-02T07:20:00.000-06:00

Sometimes all you need is a little turquoise.

The Boy and I are getting a lot closer to the big day, so it is time to get a few things scratched off our list.

My dress came last week! So excited to show you all what it looks like, but you'll have to wait until April. The Boy has no idea what it looks like, and we have planned not to see each other until the ceremony.

The dress is tucked away safely at the Boy's parent's house.

I also used Shutterfly.com to finish our guest book. People will be able to sign their names around our engagement photos. Which I have to give a shootout to La Brisa Photography. Chris was amazing to work with.

I love Shutterfly because of all their coupons you are able to use. On this order alone I got 50% of photo books, $10 off for spending more than $10 and free shipping. However, to get to that free shipping I needed to add one more thing to my cart.

Anyone remember this picture from when it was my blog header?

Enter in cute turquoise notecards with one of my photos. I've got 6 of these Thank You notecards for one lucky blog reader.

To Enter:
1. Leave a comment below and tell me who you would say thank you to with one of these notecards.
2. Follow the Crystal Cattle blog, leave a comment saying you do on this blog and I will give you an extra entry.
3. Follow Crystal Cattle on Facebook, leave a comment saying you do on this blog and I will give you an extra entry.
4. Follow Crystal Cattle on Twitter, leave a comment saying you do on this blog and I will give you an extra entry.

The giveaway will close Saturday, February 4, 2012.

Favorite new quote

2012-01-31T09:50:00.001-06:00

Today I'm at a young farmer's conference learning about corn. Wait until this spring's corn report!

Anyways one of the presenters shared this quote with me and I am pretty sure it is my absolutely favorite.

You can have everything in life that you want, if you just help enough people get what they want. - Zig Ziglar

Hope you all have a fantastic day!

p.s. Posting this with my new Blogger app so we'll see how this all shakes out.

Barbie Girl Loves Lambs

2012-01-27T07:34:00.000-06:00

A belated happy Australia Day!

I was able to wish a few of my friends a Happy Australia Day on Wednesday, and here is a belated have an awesome day to the rest of you. My friends Shelley and Matt posted this awesome video to their Trio Angus blog and I had to share.

I had some of the best lamb I have ever had on my trip to Australia, I just wish I had enough confidence to try and cook some myself!

Just remember marination leads to salivation!

Turquoise Thursday - Gift giving and gift receiving

2012-01-26T14:26:00.000-06:00

Who doesn't like opening gifts!

This Turquoise Thursday I am want to share two things with you. First, this beautiful turquoise necklace that I bought for my mom for her birthday.

I found this necklace at the Kansas City Royal and am really kicking myself for not being a second one for myself. It was pretty hard putting this necklace in the mail, but I knew she would love it. If anyone ever sees another necklace like this PLEASE let me know!

The second is a gift I received for Christmas. I have talked about Purple Banner Designs a lot on my blog, and I finally have a little something of my own. I asked Santa for one thing this year and it was a Purple Banner Design stuffed cow.

Isn't she cute with her turquoise ear tag.

My cow was actually created off of one of my favorite old show cows named Harmony.

See the resemblance? If you are looking for a unique customized gift I would definitely check them out.

I hope you all have an awesome Turquoise Thursday, and don't forget to join me tonight for the Rockin Rural Women #BeautyChat on Twitter and Facebook.

Calling all fans of barnyard beauty (and city beauty too)

2012-01-25T19:16:00.000-06:00

Make-up, skincare, and lip balm

I am crazy about make-up. Some girls get crazy about shoes or boots, some love boutiques, I love make-up. I really have to use strong will power to control how much make-up I actually purchase. Living in kind of the middle on now where Iowa (this post explains it) has really helped keep thing under control.

This site makes me giddy. FYI no all this fabulousness is not mine.

On Thursday (Jan 26) all of us make-up lovers can come together in the Rockin Rural Women Twitter and Facebook beauty chat! That's right a place for all of us ladies to chat about must-have-it products, best deals, where to shop online, home made remedies, etc. I know there are others out there. Just like this post from Debbie Lyons

To join in all you have to do is follow the #rockinruralwomen hashtag on Twitter or visit the Rockin Rural Women Facebook page at 9 PM CST and join in on the conversation. I'll be moderating the Twitter chat and Amy Charest will be asking the questions on Facebook. Hope to chat with you!

Move over Farmville, time for Cow Chow

2012-01-23T13:27:00.000-06:00

Get your gaming on.

Love that popular Facebook game Farmville, then Cow Chow is right up your family's alley. This computer game brought to you by the good folks from the Beef Checkoff have created an interactive game about what cows eat. It event includes a video made by strapping on a camera to a calf so you can see what a day of eating looks like for a cow.

The game helps explain what Cow Chow really is. The Boy and I's cows receive a ration of forages (grass in the summer time and hay in the winter), grains, water, vitamins and minerals just like other cows from across the country.

Play along with Jill or Bill and learn about grass fed cattle, feedlots, and how cattlemen feed their cattle. Did you know that 80-85% of a cow's life is spent on grass, and on 100-120 days are spent in a feedlot if that animal is being raised for consumption.

At the end of the game you even have a chance to learn about common misconceptions or submit your own question about cattle and the food they consume. Check out Cow Chow with your family and let me know how you score.

Farm Kids go Vegan

2012-01-21T07:40:00.000-06:00

Vegan Bloggers

photo via here

I recently ran across Carrie Issacson and David Jones quest to try the vegan path. From January 15-21 they are swearing off animal products. Two farm kids just wanting to experience the other side of the fence.

AgWeb is where I first saw their Vegan Adventure story, but both Carrie and David are blogging on their own blogs as well. From failed cooking attempts to trying to pick Vegan friendly items off a restaurant menu it is pretty entertaining. Out of all the posts though David's Where I come from... is my favorite because of this quote.

I grew up in a household with fresh, great tasting meat, milk and eggs and I saw first-hand how these products were brought to the table. The idea that someone could hate me because I’m a farmer, or because of my nutritional choices seemed so foreign to me. I don’t think I even knew vegetarians or vegans existed until I was a teenager. I am so happy we live in a country where we are free to speak freely and eat the kind of diet we most desire. I do my best to be respectful of everyone’s choices and lifestyles, and all I ask in return is the same.

AMEN.

It is pretty cool to see the comments from people that have come in - both carnivores and vegans. Did you know that Oreos are a vegan product. Learn something new everyday.

Check them out, and give them a little encouragement too! Maybe today they'll want to cook up my Flat Iron and Green Pepper recipe!

Flat Iron Steak with Green Peppers

2012-01-20T09:01:00.000-06:00

Beef get in my tummy.

I'm lucky I have beef I
can pull right out of
our freezer.

The Boy and are are still not over our Denver Crud yet, but we knew we wanted to have something filling for supper last night. If I don't go to chores with the Boy I always try and have supper started when he gets home, and then we finish the rest cooking together. I think it is one of my favorite things to do.

Instead of popping another B12 pill (B12 is known to boost the immune system) we turned to mother nature's multi-vitamin beef to do the trick.

In our recipe we choose to use the Flat Iron steak. It is one of the 29 lean cuts of beef, is the second most tender cut of beef, and is pretty reasonably priced. You could also use a flank steak or round steak for this recipe.

Recipe:
1.5 pounds of flat iron steak, sliced thinly against the grain
1/2 cup soy sauce (I try to use the reduced sodium kind)
1/4 cup beef broth
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons corn starch
2 green peppers (cut into chunks)
3 teaspoons of olive oil (canola oil would work too)
As much rice as you would like (we made 2 cups)

1. Add your oil to a saucepan and begin heating on medium

2. Mix soy sauce, beef broth, brown sugar and corn starch in bowl. Add the sliced beef and coat. Set aside.

3. Once the oil is hot add the green peppers to the oil, be careful it is going to sizzle. Cook for about a minute or two. You don't want the peppers to get too soft. Remove peppers and put in a bowl.

4. Allow the oil to become hot again, and then add half of the beef, leaving most of the sauce in the bowl. Ensure that each strip is flat. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. The great thing about this recipe it the meat cooks really fast because of the thin strips. Remove meat and put in a clean dish.

5. Cook the second half of the meat, again leaving most of the sauce in the bowl. Once the meat is brown add in the first half of the meat, the green peppers and the sauce. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken, it only takes a minute or two.

6. Serve over rice.

This recipe really takes no time at all. We used 1.3 pounds of Flat Iron steak for this recipe, and there was only a tiny bit left for me to take for lunch the next day. If you have a family of four you may consider doubling the recipe. The Boy liked it so much, he said so we are going to make this twice a week right?

Have fun cooking!

p.s. My wedding dress arrived in Chicago, and will be in Iowa Tuesday. The big day is getting close.

Quick update surrounded by Kleenex

2012-01-19T11:16:00.003-06:00

Hello friends.

Well, as promised I'm going to get back to blogging very soon. Since the beginning of the month I have been in five different state, six if you count the quick layover I had in the Dallas airport. A big chunk of that time was spent at one of my favorite events of the year the National Western Stock Show. (You can read about one of my cab rides here).

NWSS is an opportunity for cattlemen and stockman from around the United States, and many from Canada too, to exhibit and market their cattle. For me it is a chance to view these incredible genetics in person and catch up with family and friends. NWSS is also so sweet to provide the opportunity to catch something called the Denver Crud. It is a sneaky little cold that I thought I had escaped this year, but two days after leaving the stockyards, bam I am sick so is the boy.

So while I pump the vitamin C, B12 (I asked the boy why I couldn't just eat a steak), Mucinex, and Tylenol, the blogging might be a few more days delayed. Thanks for understanding.

A picture of the Yards in Denver.

A conversation about cattle with a cab driver

2012-01-09T06:00:00.001-06:00

All the cowboys are coming to town.

This week I'll be in Denver for that National Western Stock Show. The company I work for sponsors several of the cattle events, and the Boy's family will be showing their Hereford cattle. Throughout the week I will get in numerous cabs, and people will have several conversations about cattle and the beef industry. Today's conversation.

Cabbie: You here for the bucking bulls.

Me: Nope my family will be showing cattle here.

Cabbie: You ride bulls.

Me: Nope, we show these cattle in a showring.

Cabbie: Ah, and where do you come from.

Me: My fiancé's family brought 25 head of cattle up from Oklahoma, but people from all over the U.S. will be showing cattle.

Cabbie: Do you bring their food too.

Me: Yes, that came in a separate stock trailer. We bring grain and hay for the to eat.

Cabbie: How much does a bull weigh?

Me: Well taking a guess the big bull they have here might weigh 1,800 lbs.

Cabbie: How much do they sell for?

Me: Well they can sell for anywhere between $3,000 and a $100,000. (This is when you clutch the door real tight, and hope that they don't swerve off the road from shock).

Cabbie: (In shock) Per pound! For meat?!

Me: No our cattle here are for breeding purposes, we won't eat them. However, they do have really good meat producing genetics and the progeny from the bulls may go into the food chain.

Cabbie: Ah I see. Maybe I should get some cows.

It happens every time. But I love it. Nothing better than learning what the consumers think about agriculture in a cab ride down to the Stock Show grounds.

This is a video that I put together last year at the Stock Show. It'll be you a better idea of what will go on this week.

<iframe width="420" height="243" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8xeKcSF47r0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

PETA and HSUS and Rick Santorum

2012-01-06T07:45:00.000-06:00

The power of social media

I posted this note about Rick Santorum on my Facebook page earlier this week, and now wanted to share on my blog. It has been shared nearly a 100 times on Facebook, and I encourage you to click on the link and share with your friends if you feel passionately about this as well.

I don't get to vote yet, but I sure have heard a lot about Iowa politics the past few months. I think there are a positives and negatives in a lot of the Republican candiates, however supporting HSUS would definitely scratch you off my list.

"Jan Swan Wood, columnist in Tri-State Livestock News told readers that have friends in Iowa to be careful who they vote for in the primaries. Rick Santorum, (R-PA) supports PETA and HSUS. Both of those animal rights organizations love him, too. The animal rights political action committee, HumaneUSA, gave $5,00 to Santroum's 2006 re-election bid and has promised to campaign aggressively for him in a presidential big. HSUS's President and CEO, Wayne Pacelle, has nothing but praise for Santorum as well."

Thanks Jennifer Carrico for sharing. And if you have Iowa friends, feel free to share.

Update: Check out this blog to find out which Senate and House members support HSUS.

http://eburnsthompson.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/whats-your-humane-score/

Just me and my MAC make-up on the Prairie

2012-01-04T08:10:00.008-06:00

Hello UPS man

Well, it has been two months since I have moved to Iowa, and I would say I am adjusting well. Although, the Boy would say I travel so much I am never here. I think my clothes and mail like the place.

My first online MAC purchase

Until the recent move I had spent almost eight years living in town (time in college and then my first big kid job). I absolutely love living back on the farm now, but I'll admit I had gotten comfortable with my life in the city. There was lots of shopping and dining options in my towns and Kansas City was 40 minutes away. Definitely close enough to fulfill my love of shopping and MAC make-up.

However, on the prairie (it's really not that bad I live outside a town with 6,000 people) there is no MAC insight. You see Iowans must not have discovered the wonderful line of MAC make-up. The one and only store in the state is almost three hours away.

I kind of had a panic attack last week when I realize there was only a drop of my NC15 foundation left in the bottle. Hello, online shopping and thank goodness MAC frequently has free shipping. What would use prairie girls do without the Internet?

Yes, the locals might not know me yet, but the UPS and FedEx guys sure do. Between work mail, online Christmas shopping and MAC make-up delivers they know our home well.

My mom and sister bought me this awesome MAC brush case for Christmas! Clean brushes make me so happy. Yes, I am a nerd.

The Burger Cupcake and other brilliant ideas

2012-01-02T07:40:00.000-06:00

Awesomesauce.

When I saw this I knew I had to share with my readers. Now I can't promise this burger falls into the 29 lean cuts of beef category, but I bet it is good. Now presenting the Burger Cupcake.

How awesome is that. Even better Rock UR Party Recipes provides step by step instructions. #winning The best way to celebrate your love of beef is by eating beef, the second would be eating one of these cupcakes.

And if cupcakes aren't your thing, how about these...

Big Mac(arons)

Again thank you Not So Humble Pie for coming up with this amazing what to celebrate beef. Check out the step by step Big Mac(arons) how to. I love people's creativity.

2011 Recap: Texas loves Crystal Cattle

2011-12-30T07:34:00.000-06:00

From all around the world.

I almost squealed with excitement when I was looking at my Google Analytics today. Readers from 131 different countries read my blog this year. Thank you! It just goes to show that spreading agriculture's story isn't something that just happens in our communities. People all over the world rely on agriculture, and what to hear your stories. I think a lot of people like turquoise too!

However, there is one group of people that really like my blog - the Texans. The three most popular cities that my readers live in: Ballinger, Lubbock and College. Yeah that's right I have all kinds of Big Brother info on you guys ;). After Texas it is Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois. Now go tell your east coast and west coast friends about this gal that blogs about food and agriculture.

Google Analytic map for Crystal Cattle. The darker the green the more visitors came from there.

Back to Texas. In honor on all the Texans that read my blog I put together a few Texas things together.

Texas Burlap Pillow from the localhoneyshop on Etsy.

It is Texas and turquoise! Maybe the Boy and I need an Iowa and Alberta one.

Cute Texas charm. This store has all the states, no one needs to feel left out.

And I love this statement from the You Know You're a Texas When blog.

Thanks to everyone for reading this year. Now onto an amazing 2012.

2011 Recap: The Best of Pinterest

2011-12-29T07:48:00.001-06:00

A virtual pin board

Today we aren't doing an official Turquoise Thursday, but no fear this recap still includes that wonderful color. I joined Pinterest the beginning of 2011 and was hooked immediately, and although I have shared with you many of my finds, a lot of the good stuff never makes it onto my blog. Therefore keeping with this week's themes of recaps I am sharing some of my most repinned Pinterest photos. p.s. If you aren't on Pinterest yet, and would like to be you can find my email under my About Me page and I'll email you an invite.

This is a pin of a picture from one of my favorite artists www.jmeeker.com It is part of my Crystal's Wish List Board.

My Cowhide board is one of my favorites. This McQueen cowhide bag is gorgeous.

I have featured these turquoise earrings on my blog before and they were definitely a favorite on my Turquoise Pinterest board.

And how about these turquoise suede high heels. Wooza.

I've got all kinds of wonderful ideas pinned on my Dream Home board. I dream of a home like this. Rock, open beams, wood, windows, love.

My favorite part of Pinterest is all the recipes. I lived off this recipe this summer. The dressing is amazing. Make a whole bunch because you'll be using it on more than just this salad.

Don't forget to check out my 2011 Recap of the Most Popular Crystal Cattle Blog posts.

2011 Recap: Top Blog Posts of the Year

2011-12-28T06:50:00.000-06:00

And the winners are...

It is that time of year. To recap some of the blog posts that you and my readers enjoyed the most. This next week I want to share a few different Top 2011 posts, so be sure to keep coming back. There is a lot inshore.

Now first of all the top three places that you visited on my blog were my About Me page, who knew you were so curious about me, and my Turquoise Thursday page, everyone loves Turquoise, and my How to Blog Guide. (You can learn how to add pages to your blog in this post.)

Onto the Top 10.

10. Feed sack bags - read here

This post got lots of comments too. I am going to have to put one of these on my own Wish List! The House that Ag Built even provided a feed sack bag tutorial so you can make your own.

9. Cotton Wedding - read here

Why not include a little piece of agriculture into your wedding. I really love these uses for cotton in a wedding.

8. Crystal Cattle Wedding: Engagement Photos - read here

I am absolutely in love with our engagement photos. I highly recommend La Brisa Photography for all the special moments that you want to capture. Chris is based in Texas, but travels all over. Hands down one of my favorite photographers and I can't wait for him to capture our big day.

7. Lady Gaga Moves to Nebraska? - read here

Could it be true. You'll have to read to find out, but I love the awareness this pop star has brought to agriculture. I still love Lady Gaga's video about farming.

6. The Blonde City Girl - read here

You'll definitely get a laugh out of this one.

5. Watching Corn Grow - read here

I loved learning about corn in Iowa this summer, and blogging about the crops progress. I can't wait to go around from start to finish this year. Planting will start in April, stay tuned!

4. Two Bar West Purses - read here

This post was wrote in 2009 and is still going strong. Last year it was my number one post, now it has dropped down in two fourth spot.

3. Turquoise Wedding Invites - read here

I think I surprised many of you when I told you that turquoise wasn't going to be one of my wedding colors, however these engagement party invites that two of my cousins designed were awesome. I love the turquoise and burlap combination. The wedding details are really starting to come together. I'll be sharing more with you soon.

2. Turquoise Thursday Junk Gypsy Style - read here

Who doesn't love those Junk Gypsy girls. I can't wait until there new show airs in 2012. I was so excited when I finally bought this turquoise necklace for myself. Definitely a statement piece.

1. Looking pretty in agriculture - read here

I loved getting together with two of my best girl friends for this photo shoot. I also loved all the comments that I got from you guys on this post. Remember just because we like dresses, jewelry, high heels and boots, doesn't mean that we don't know a thing or two about agriculture.

DASH Diet beef in a heart healthy diet

2011-12-23T07:47:00.000-06:00

I heart lean beef

New Year's is right around the corner and that means that millions of people are going to be setting New Year's resolutions based on their health. I will be too. I haven't quite narrowed it done yet, but with a wedding in under four months it is pretty good motivation. That wedding dress might hide a lot, but the swim suits I want to wear in Hawaii won't!

I've always enjoyed SHAPE magazine, and the article I read today makes me want to sing their praises. There is something called the DASH diet - a diet that helps lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. In the past they told you to stay away from red meat, however with people realizing the benefits of the 29 lean cuts of beef, nutritionists are encouraging people to include lean meat in their diets.

The article really spells it out, and I encourage you to read the full article The Newest Science on Heart-Healthy Diets here.

Cute black brown and leopard swimsuit top from Target.

Turquoise and White Stripped swimsuit top also from Target

Happy lean beef eating!

Turquoise Party Dresses

2011-12-22T08:20:00.000-06:00

It's a festive season

Christmas and New's Years Eve are around the corner, so why not choose turquoise for your festive color of choice.

Turquoise (or maybe mint) maxi dress. I love dresses like this, they are always so comfortable.

Blake Lively rocking the turquoise. I may have a girl crush on her.

You would need a ballroom for their turquoise and black ball gown, but isn't it pretty. Can big kids go back to prom?

Maybe shorter is your style. Here is a sweetheart turquoise dress.

Are you headed out to any parties this holiday season? What will you be wearing?

Beef Bandages and other meat gifts

2011-12-20T20:16:00.000-06:00

I love meat

Need some last minute gift ideas for the meat lover in your life? I know I am scurrying around getting those last minute items and waiting for the UPS man to make lots more deliveries at my house. I am pretty sure the UPS man is wondering what is up at the Boy's house. There has been more deliveries there in the past two weeks than in the years he has lived there previously.

Instead of throwing that frozen steak on your black eye, why not just bandage it up with a T-Bone Steak Bandage.

Or why not profess your love of meat with a Meatetarian shirt.

And finally there is the ever popular Bacon Ornament. Perfect for any Christmas Tree.

Guest Post: Christmas with Lindsay & a baby boy

2011-12-16T07:31:00.000-06:00

Give you a round of applause.

Lindsay has been a long time blog reader. I've been poking and prodding her to start her own blog with not so much success. I have successfully twisted her arm though to do a guest post. See she and I have a lot in common, but there is one difference - Lindsay has a beautiful baby boy and is much more on the up and up with stylish kid stuff. So here she goes.

Today I’m tackling some firsts. My first blog post and my baby’s first Christmas. It’s safe to say my anxiety is equal for both milestones. At the encouragement of the blog owner, here it goes:

So, I have this precious, sweet, little baby angel that goes by Abbott (See Exhibit A).

Exhibit A

As you can tell, it’s Abbott’s first Christmas. I have been faced with the reality of the situation that:
1. I have a kid, and it’s his first Christmas.
2. Let's face it… he’s just 6 months and doesn’t really know what is going on. I have actually entertained the idea of giving him the same things for the next three years and just taking a picture with a different thing each year.

So, here I am, at the crossroads every parent comes to during the holiday season; to keep it real or go totally overboard? These were my final selections. I hope they help you with some last minute ideas for the little ones on your list, or if you are super organized, maybe they will help you get a jump on things for next year.

1. The Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Apptivity Case

I haven’t used this thing yet, but I am already convinced the inventor is brilliant. A case that keeps my phone free from drool and making unwanted phone calls...oh and he can use it as a teething toy. Sign me up! The best part is that this little technology wonder is only $15.99, and the corresponding Fisher Price apps are free. I like free.

2. The Jeep Liberty Renegade Walker

I already gave him this gift. We are just going to add a bow on Christmas morning for the picture. Babies grow like nothing you have ever seen, and I need to maximize his usage time. As you can see, he loves cruising for chicks in his Jeep. I like that it is gender neutral in color. He likes that it makes engine noises, and it has a horn that honks. I LOVE that it was super easy to put together. A little insider tip: It’s on sale at Baby Depot for $39.99. They are sold out online, but our store had plenty in inventory.

3. Purple Banner Designs Lovie

Purple Banner Designs has it going on! I won this lovie in a giveaway right here on CrystalCattle and ordered another one for my best friend’s little boy the next week. I cannot rave enough about how much we love this thing. It goes with us everywhere, and Bethany, if you are reading this… I wouldn’t be opposed to a Mommy-sized one too. Just thinking out loud for you.

There it is, my first blog post, on the Internet for the whole wide world to read. I know my sweet, little guy is going to love his gifts, but more importantly I hope he knows he is the best gift. I’ve loved watching him grow, and all he needs to give me on Christmas is that precious gummy smile that he is rapidly becoming famous for. Best wishes for a merry Christmas and an incredibly blessed new year!

Turquoise Thursday - Spike Necklace

2011-12-15T07:51:00.000-06:00

Boom Turquoise

Recently I came across the Charm & Chain Blog. They have all kinds of really unique jewelry, and also have a lot of copycat pieces that are MUCH less than the real thing. Of course this turquoise necklace instantly caught my eye.

Isn't it pretty. Perfect with a black shirt or a white collared shirt.

This turquoise spike necklace is by Kenneth Jay Lane and retails for $80.

There is also a red version of the spike necklace.

Happy Shopping!

Holiday Season - Metallic Cowhide

2011-12-12T15:55:00.000-06:00

Sparkle

I am off to my first Christmas party of the year with the Boy, and have a little DIY cooking item that I am bring with me. Photos tomorrow.

In the meantime let's say thank you for The Farmer's Trophy Wife for pinning this on Pinterest.

This sparkly little number is from Paris, so I probably won't be adding it to my Christmas list.

However, it does remind me of the sequin shirt I am wearing tonight.

Maybe I'll just add this metallic cowhide rug to my list.

You've got to check out www.cowhidesinternational.com they have all kinds of great cowhide rugs.

Crystal Cattle's Pinterest page

Cheese is a vegetable

2011-12-09T10:00:00.000-06:00

Food chat from a Boy

The Boy and I have been successfully living together for more than two months now, and we love it. It is always interesting when two people come together to live under one roof and begin to share their life philosophies with each other - like cheese is a vegetable.

Yes, the Boy believes that cheese is a vegetable and that things like brocolli is in the gross stuff category. You see the Boy isn't a big vegetable fan, although I'll give him credit that his tastes have expanded greatly since we started dating.

One thing we do agree on is that we love cheese. If you were to look in our fridge right now you would find two bags of Parmesan, Monetary Jack, Italian and Mozzarella. There is also cottage cheese (his not mind), cream cheese, sour cream, sour cream taco dip, yogurt and milk - yeah we are dairy fans.

Since we have an abundance of cheese the Boy has declared that we can just subsitiute cheese into our diet as a vegetable. Probably not a great plan, but a great way to support dairy farmers.

Any food disagreements that your family has?

The Turquoise Office

2011-12-08T09:15:00.004-06:00

Home Sweet Home

If you follow me on Instagram I gave you a hint of what I was up to a couple weekends a go. Yes, the Boy let me paint my home office Turquoise, and I love it. The office definitely needed some color with its white walls and all my white IKEA office furniture. And p.s. I was pretty proud of my IKEA furniture purchases. Not only was it easily the best place to get the most bang for my buck, but my future MIL and I were able to put all the furniture together ourselves!

A little bit of of elbow grease and this is what you get...

Boom Turquoise Office. I decided to go with a color from Lowe's called Aqua Chifron.

My cork board wall. You can find these cork board squares at most WalMarts and Hobby Lobby. Definitely recommend nailing them up, the double sided tape that comes with them never seems to work.

My wall of things I love. The painting was done by a dear friend of mine. Super talented. The two cow pictures are Signature (the black one) and Fantasy and Harmony (the cow and calf), these are my all time favorite cows. And then a picture of my sister and I, and the Boy and I.

I was able to save some money by keeping the blinds and curtains that were already in the room.

My little seating area. This couch was previously downstairs in our house, but it no longer fit when I moved all my stuff in. The meshing of two peoples things is always a fun project. So that is my office. Feel free to stop by anytime. We can talk blogging, agvocacy, Sure Champ and of course turquoise!

Canadian Comedian Rick Mercer visits a cattle show

2011-12-07T16:03:00.000-06:00

Rick at Agribition

My fellow K-State Judging Team
member, Lance Leachman's farm.

Although I was unable to attend Agribition this year, via Twitter I was able to see quite the commotion Rick Mercer, Canadian comedian, when he attended one of Canada's leading agricultural events.

Rick's tour of the barns takes him through the grooming of a beef animal, learning how to auctioneer, and the process of buying a goat. All important things to know.

www.rickmercer.com

It is always fun to see what agriculture and livestock shows look like through the eyes of the consumer. Check out his adventure!

And I would say that my cattle showing friends do pretty good in the spotlight of a camera.

#GiveBeef this Christmas

2011-12-07T10:29:00.000-06:00

No better gift than helping feed others.

Yesterday, Debbie Lyons-Blythe had a great guest post, by Barb Downey, on her blog about providing beef for families through a movement called #GiveBeef. Today, I've asked Barb if I can repost so I can share with you how you can get involved, and also there are some pretty interesting facts in her post about what farmers and ranchers provide in terms of volunteer service to their communities.

On the ranch with Barb and Joe and their daughters Anna and Laura Cate.

by Barb Downey

Our cow herd has given us a lot over the years. A good living, a way of life that lets us work together as a family, a way to teach our kids the joys and responsibilities of an intimate bond with animals and a way to live in partnership & harmony with our environment to provide safe, wholesome & nutritious beef. In return, we give our cow herd the best we have to offer; top nutrition, health care and a lifetime of interaction with humans that ensures they are treated properly. So while every job has its ups & downs, when the dust settles, cattle ranching has been a blessing and a gift. This is why all of us in agriculture, both farming & ranching, do what we do. Sure, its long hours spent in some of the worst Mother Nature can dish out, but the blessings are many and manifest.

Many of America’s farmers & ranchers give back to our communities in lots of ways all year long. According to the Cattlemen’s Stewardship Review:

Nearly one-half (47%) volunteer with a youth organization compared with a national average of about 7 percent. About one-third donate their time to community civic organizations beyond youth groups.
On average, cattlemen volunteer 11 hours each month to non-profit organizations or charitable causes.
Farmers and ranchers are not just generous with their time, but also contribute to charitable causes. About one-half of farmers and ranchers donate at least $500 annually to local or national charities and nearly one-third donate at least $1,000.

I want to recognize that and use it to inspire all of us to unite in our giving. I’m calling on you, America’s Ranchers, Farmers & all of you who support ag producers every day to join me during the Holidays, long winter & all year long in putting a face on the generosity of our ag community.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in 2010, 14.5 percent of U.S. households were food insecure at least some time during that year. The beef community is responding to this need in a number of ways, from donating beef to food banks to volunteering time in our local communities.

How can I make a difference, you ask? Here at Downey Ranch, we donated a beef and contacted our local locker to donate the processing & packaging. GTB Meats, Inc. of Riley, KS stepped up to the plate and together, we were able to deliver over 460 lbs (1800+ servings!) of ground beef to the Flinthills Breadbasket. In turn, the Breadbasket will distribute that to local individuals & families in need this season. We are fortunate that what we & our cattle produce provides a huge nutritional punch to those members of society most likely to be deficient in what beef provides so well; complete, high quality protein & plenty of vitamins & minerals often lacking in Americans’ diets.

So donate beef (or pork, poultry, dairy or other quality foods from American agriculture). If you don’t have actual product, sell a few bushels & buy quality product. If you just love ag & want to help, offer to buy part or all of a beef from a rancher and donate that way. Just find out what your local organizations need & help to secure it. There are pantries, kitchens, churches, schools, etc. in every community needing you to step up to the plate. Then let us know what you’ve done so we can help you inspire others. Together, we can share the bounty of America’s ranches and make a real difference.

Remember, support “Give Beef” (Twitter: #GiveBeef) any way you can so that all winter long, everyone can truly say, “Beef; it’s what’s for dinner!”

The Boy and I are a thinking about how we can also #GiveBeef. Watch for a follow up post soon about what our contribution will be. Don't forget to check out the #GiveBeef Facebook page for more information.

Hunk of Meat Mondays: Crockpot Macaroni and Bacon

2011-12-05T07:26:00.000-06:00

A pound of bacon

Yum bacon!

Yesterday, was a busy day of clipping our bull calf Forest, house cleaning and painting furniture, so what better way to spare of time than a crockpot meal. I have been eyeing all kinds of macaroni and cheese recipes on Pinterest, and decided to combine a few for my own.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups milk - I used 2% milk

One 12 oz can of no fat evaporated milk

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted, cooled to room temp

3 large eggs

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups (12 oz) shredded cheese Italian blend

1/2 pound elbow macaroni or mini penne tubes, par cooked and drained (this means cook them for about five minutes until tender but not completely cooked)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Oregano to taste

1 pound of bacon

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. By using a crock pot liner you won't have to worry about any clean up afterwards or you can spray the crock pot with cooking oil. Combine milk, evaporated milk, eggs, butter, and salt in crock pot and whisk until until smooth.

2. Add the shredded Italian cheese, bacon and macaroni, sprinkle with black pepper and oregano. Stir until macaroni is evenly coated.

3. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes.

4. After 30 minutes, reduce the heat to low and cook for another two hours. You might not need quite that much time, you'll be able to tell when the pasta is all cooked.

Excuse my iPhone photography skills, but that is a pot full of deliciousness!

For other Hunk of Meat Monday recipes check out the Beyer Beware and Pinke Post blogs.

The meat cutting chart

2011-12-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

Oh Pinterest

Have you noticed the plethora of meat cutting charts on Pinterest lately? If not don't worry that is what I am hear for to point the good stuff out. Not only are these charts giving you an education in where your meat is coming from, but they are also a great decorating piece for any kitchen or home.

Beef Butcher Cutting Chart from Etsy. If beef isn't your thing, don't worry this store sells chicken, lamb, pork and fish (yes fish) cutting charts, and they've got a deal for you buy three get one free.

Another artistic beef chart, but what is with the horns again? It is actually better for cattle to be dehorned at a young age. There is less chance of injury to the people handing the cattle, the cattle have less chance of injuring themselves or others, and it cause less bruising of the meat. Meat bruising equal low meat quality.

I love classic beef posters like this meat market poster also found on easy.

If you are looking for a tried and true beef cutting chart I love this one from www.beefretail.org. They also have mini and bilingual version.

Another sample is this beef chart from the American Angus Association. When I used to work at the Association we would send hundreds of these out each year. I love that this chart and the one above not only show what the cut of meat looks like, but it also tells you how it should be cooked. You can order this beef cutting cart here.

Happy beef eating!

Agvocacy Goals

2011-11-30T13:11:00.002-06:00

SMART Goals

Earlier this month, when I spoke about connecting with the consumer at the American Agri-Women Conference, I asked all the participants in my session to write down a goal of theirs regarding how they would become more involved in agvocacy. The participants wrote each goals down twice, keeping one sheet of paper for themselves and handing me the second one.

You see goals should be SMART. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely, is how the acronym goes. However, I like to interchange Attainable for Accountable. By sharing your goals with others it gives you more accountability, just like when I shared my 101 in 1001 list on my blog.

The goals that the participants wrote down ranged form blogging once a week, join Twitter to speaking to groups about agriculture, and going to law school so she stand up for family farms and agriculture.

I love when others share their goals with me because it means that I might have some of the knowledge or resources to help them achieve their goals. What are you working towards? No need to wait until the new year to start thinking what you want to achieve?

p.s. Don't forget that December 1 is the last day to vote for the Best of the Barns Awards. I've been nominated in a couple of categories, and would love your vote.

Ally's First Haircut

2011-11-28T08:27:00.005-06:00

Pretty girl.

This weekend the Boy and I played hairdresser and worked with our Hereford calves. Remember Ally from my feeding video? Ally is one of the heifers that we'll be keeping and hopefully showing this summer.

Ally was pretty fuzzy so we decided we would shave her head out to see what was under all that fuzzy.

The boy used a pair of clippers called sheepsheads to shave her head.

Getting closer to being done. When we clip our cattle we put them in an aluminum chute. This keeps both the animal and us safe, as well it prevents them from moving around too much.

Finished product! Doesn't she look great. We can't wait to get Ally back in again and clip on the rest of her body. We won't shave the hair anywhere else, except for her head and part of her tail. On the rest of the body we just trim off part of the hair to help extenuate her positive attributes and hid her flaws.

These are two of the heifers, Firework and Shelly, that we'll be selling. We've been working on them quite a bit and they are well on their way to becoming awesome show heifers. Soon Ally will be standing their next to these girls looking just as fabulous.

Headed to Australia

2011-11-26T13:53:00.000-06:00

No plane involved.

The Boy using a giant blow
dryer is dry Firework.

Thanksgiving is over, and it truly has been an awesome weekend. Time with friends and family, the Boy and I have been getting tons of work done on the calves that we will be selling at the Iowa Beef Expo in February and I am now about to take a trip to Australia... via my computer.

You see I have been asked to speak at the Future Focused: Young Australians Building Trust & Confidence in Agriculture Conference via webcast. These young people, like me, have a passion for agriculture and connecting with the people who purchase and use our agriculture products. The conference began yesterday and I have been following along on Twitter through the #FFAgOz hashtag. And through the participants tweets I found this YouTube video called Test Your Awareness. Watch below.

My results. Well I did get the number of passes correct, but I totally missed the second part (not giving you any answers here!)

Yes, this video is about cyclists, but how often do we miss the bigger picture. I've been giving a lot of advocacy presentations and speeches lately, and a common question that has been coming up is how do we deal with or change the minds of animal rights activists. The thing is we aren't going to change these peoples minds. There are some people that are so left or right of center that they will never be willing to listen to the other side of the story.

The people I want to connect with are the people that are looking for answers about their food. That may have come to their own conclusion about HSUS based on the cute kitty cat and doggy commercials they seen on T.V., and were unaware that HSUS donates less than half of one percent of their annual donations to shelters.

The people that think you can buy hormone free beef. There is no such thing because cattle naturally contain hormones, way fewer than the cabbage you may eat. However, if you would like to buy beef that was not given any additional hormones that is possible.

The bigger picture is pretty important.

A long way from home - Agribition show coverage

2011-11-23T10:44:00.000-06:00

Family time for afar

This week is always a big event for my family. We are currently showing cattle at one of the biggest livestock shows in Canada called Agribition. The only thing is that I am not at the show this year. With a change in jobs I successful completed my first sale meetings this week, but that meant no trip home.

Thankfully through tweets, Facebook statues and online video I have still been able to keep tabs on the family.

If you have never seen a cattle show or are interested in the Simmental show at Agribition you can watch online right now. Blair's Ag is a Canadian company that has a huge commitment to Canadian agriculture and has sponsored an online video feed of the Agribition cattle shows. You can follow along with the show my using this show program.

Good luck to all the exhibitors. My family, High Country Simmentals, has already shown one heifer this morning, and will have a cow/calf pair and bull calf to show later on.

RJY Rival 13Y

Reserve Champion Simmental Bull at Fairfairm International

Dairy Cows and $800 shoes

2011-11-17T11:25:00.000-06:00

Manolo Blahnik execs. take on dairy farming

I realize today is Turquoise Thursday, but when I saw this article I knew that Turquoise could wait one day. So come on back tomorrow and we'll talk Turquoise on Friday, and you can see what arrived in the mail for me this week.

I can't embed the video, so you'll have to click here to watch, but the story talks about the Manolo President and Vice-President trading their New York lifestyle for the profession of dairy farmer ever Thursday through Sunday.

I think it is pretty cool when people without agriculture backgrounds decided to take an interest in the industry that is so dear to my heart. And these guys jumped right in it. 400 head of dairy cattle, with 25 employees, and although these city boys admit they down do too much of the dirty work they aren't afraid to step into a barn.

This morning on the Early Show two of my loves were brought together - cattle and shoes. And we aren't talking any old shoes, we are talking Manolo Blahnik shoes. I am too frugal with my money, and so lively will only ever be an admirer, but it wouldn't surprise me if my sister (check out her blog) would some day own a pair.

You can read about Arethusa Farm, and how George Malkemus and Anthony Yurgaitis saved the farmland from developers and turned it back into a functioning dairy. And a dairy with some top show genetics.

Now maybe I just need to figure out how I can swap places with them and work in the Manolo Blahnik shoe store a couple days a week.

A Christmas Tree Tax?

2011-11-14T08:10:00.000-06:00

The media got the story wrong

This past weekend I had an amazing opportunity to speak at the American Agri-Women's Conference, and while there I also got to connect with some awesome ladies and hear their agriculture stories.

Image Source.

Last week you might have seen the Christmas Tree Tax story in the headlines, and how Obama put a stop to it. Was this a good thing? Not in my opinion because that isn't the story. One of the ladies I met at the conference is a Christmas Tree farmer in Michigan. Since the beginning of 2011 a new Christmas Tree Promotion Board has been working on creating a check-off for Christmas tree farmers.

What is a check-off? Well my family pays a $1 per head we sell to the Beef Check Off. This money is then used to help promote beef, do food safety and nutritional research, among others things. The point? Well my family only has 40 head of cattle. Our dollars won't go very far in marketing beef, but when all the cattlemen pool their money together we can make a big difference.

Well the Christmas tree farmers wanted to do the same. A 15 cents check-off for every tree sold or imported, but this would only apply those selling more than 500 trees a year. The Christmas Tree Promotion Board feels like they need to have these dollars for marketing against their competitor fake Christmas trees - I'm all about the real thing.

The Heritage Network's Vice President David Addington broke the story on the Heritage Network Blog The Foundry. He wrote “Of course, the Christmas tree sellers are free to pass along the 15-cent federal fee to consumers who buy their Christmas trees.” More taxes for American consumers in the middle of the Christmas season? Some present. Especially with the economy barely growing and 14 million Americans out of work. As Addington wrote, “Is a new tax on Christmas trees the best President Obama can do?”

The media ran his version of the story. A saw a couple Christmas Tree Farmer interviews, but those didn't even paint the right picture. They were with sellers that weren't familiar with the program because they sell less than 500 trees and wouldn't have even had to pay the check-off. My new friend from Michigan was more than in favor of having some dollars that could market fresh Christmas trees on a national level.

And with all that media pressure and consumers in an uproar about this "tax" the program was cancelled. It doesn't surprise me, but it sure frustrates me. Why wasn't the farmer given the chance to give their opinion. Don't we know our industry the better than anyone else, and understand the best way to market our product.

I sure wouldn't mind paying 15 cents more for my Christmas Tree (and that's IF the cost was passed on to me) if I knew farmers would have more money to promote their product, and hopefully in the end stay in business. I sure hope that the Heritage Network doesn't decide to come after our Beef Check Off.

We need to find 1.6 million gallons of water for beef production

2011-11-11T14:20:00.001-06:00

Meeting today's demand for beef.

Now, before I start this post today I want to declare that I support choice and diversity in agriculture. I think it is really important that when you go buy your family's food that you have a choice. I love that at the beef counter you can choose between (traditionally raised - what the Boy and my family does), organic, natural, locally grown, etc. However, I do know that we aren't going to be able to supply the amount of beef this country needs by just partaking in one system. I know this because?

Well I cam across this really cool video last week called Meeting Today's Beef Demand. I wanted to put a few of the facts down on paper, especially for those that can get there dial up speed Internet to load the video.

In 1955, there were 165,931,202 people in the U.S., and 90,000,000 cows.

Today, there is 308,000,000 people in the U.S. and 90,000,000 cows.

Wait a second. How can the same number of cattle be feeding us today? Without the improvements we have made in traditional beef practices we would need 180,000,000 cows. And that would mean 440,000,000 additional acres of land.

Not to mention almost 1.6 million gallons of water per day. Yikes.

However, by supporting traditional beef raised with modern practices we don't have to find these additional resources. Family farmers and ranchers can conserve resources and produce more with less. So on a day when there are lots of reasons to say thanks I say thank you veterans for providing a place where farmers and ranchers can do their jobs.

Turquoise Thursday - Pin it

2011-11-10T13:48:00.001-06:00

Hunks of turquoise are the best

Thanks to Pinterest and my friend Anna (who also does Turquoise Thursdays) I found this awesome turquoise pin. Don't look at the price that is not important. The third and fourth options are a little less expensive.

How cool would that be to have a turquoise pin? This is where my turquoise pin would appear.

- on a black blazer
- on a handbag
- add to a silver chain

Or you could wear it like The King Ranch Saddle suggests.

This the turquoise pin I'm talking about.

Love it!

And if you arm feels a little bare you could go with the matching turquoise cuff.

I also like this turquoise pin found on eBay.

I thought of another option - on my black peacoat. Can you tell I like black as much as I like turquoise.

I am not a big heart person, but I think this is a cute option for a turquoise pin.

Suppertime happens twice a day

2011-11-09T16:59:00.000-06:00

Who's hungry.

We weigh the grain
out so we know how
much each calf is receiving.

Ok obviously I eat more than twice a day. I mean I need three meals a day and then my mom always called my a grazer. I think snacks are awesome! However, our calves that we are getting ready to show get fed twice a day, and then have the opportunity to graze grass or eat hay (dried grass in-between).

Last week I took this video of feeding time. I don't really explain the ration (grain mix) very well, so here is more of an explanation. It contains corn as well as oats, minerals, a little beet pulp and a few other ingredients like the pelleted stuff which is Sure Champ. Sure Champ is a prebiotic to help the cattle's digestive system function to the best of its ability.

Ally the heifer calf in the video is one of my favorites, however she isn't the one getting all the attention right now. Two heifers by the name of Show Goes On (Sally) and Firework are getting lots of baths, hair cuts and time spent on their hair. That's because in February we are going to sell both of them, and they'll need their pictures taken soon. Just another day on the farm.

And the winner is...

2011-11-07T13:01:00.000-06:00

Drumroll please.

First of all thank you to everyone who voted in the Best of the Barns Awards. Purple Banner Designs and I greatly appreciate your votes. The voting wouldn't close until the end of the month, so if you missed out there is still time.

Now for the important part the winner of the $35 gift certificate from Purple Banner Designs is...

Congrats Hayley, we'll be in touch soon.

And don't forget Purple Banner Designs is a great place to do your Christmas shopping. Just make sure to have your orders in by November 26 to receive in time for Christmas.

I'm nervous, and got the goose bumps

2011-11-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

It's game day

Today is a pretty important day. Teams across the country will be playing football, but there is one team I will be wildly cheering on, my K-State Wildcats. See today we play Oklahoma State. We had an undefeated season until last week when those ugly Sooners kind of dominated us. After so many straight wins in a row, we are looking for a W again.

Now I know that many of my close friends are Cowboys, and I know that many people that read this blog will be wearing orange today, so I am making a declaration. I will not smack talk you, if you are pleasant back. That way we don't have to put our friendship on hold.

Now for the goose bump part. If the hairs on your arm down stand up, obviously you don't bleed purple. Go cats, and remember EMAW.

Turquoise Thursday: Bundle Up

2011-11-03T09:30:00.002-06:00

It's getting cold out there.

Yesterday it poured in Iowa, and today the wind isn't supposed to stop blowing. Thankfully the calves have stayed healthy, but the Boy has definitely been keeping an extra eye on them. I'm pretty sure fall is almost over, and that means it is time to bundle up. Thus, I bring you this week's Turquoise Thursday!

Now who couldn't help but smile even on those cold winter days when wearing this turquoise winter jacket.

Maybe you just need a hint of turquoise. Why not add a scarf, perfect for both indoors and outside! I love Southern Jewlz's selection of scarves.

Turquoise head warmer from etsy.

Also have you started to see the new rage in ear warmers? These crocheted head warmers have been popping up everywhere. I'll give credit to my Oklahoma girls, I saw tons of them wearing them last year, such trend setters. Charming Charlie's doesn't have an online store, but I bought a really cute on for a friend there, and they had tons to choose from.

I love how this turquoise head warmer narrows that the back so it says in place better.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway I have going on with Purple Banner Designs. You have until Monday to enter!

Best of the Barns Giveaway

2011-11-02T10:53:00.000-06:00

Vote and Win!

Hello lovely, super, amazing followers. Why the extra sugar, well I have a favor to ask, but don't worry you'll there is a goody in return!

This week the second Best of the Barns nominations are up and I am up for three awards! Best Cattle Blog, Best Show Cattle Social Media Poster, and Ag Advocate of the Year. It is always exciting to see your name list amongst people that you respect. You have until the end of the month to cast your vote, and you are not required to vote in every category, but you do have to leave your email at the end of the survey.

Now here is the fun part. Some of my friends like Star Lake Cattle Ranch, Purple Banner Designs, Butler Livestock Judging Team, DRIVE and Southern Jewlz are also nominated!

She does horses too!

Today we are going to feature Bethany of Purple Banner Designs. I LOVE Bethany's designs and have featured her on the blog many times. She custom makes tons of different baby items, kids clothes and these stuff cows called Stockyard Friends (totally want one of these for Christmas)!

Bethany is donating a $35 gift certificate to the Purple Banner Designs store.

Bethany has done bibs for me to give as baby gifts.

You can also read about the custom nursery bedding she did for my good friend Robyn. You can not believe how soft that brown fabric is that is in the picture.

I wonder if I can convince Bethany to make me one of these cow stocking hats in big kid sizes!

Now for the important part how to enter.

1. You must visit www.bestofthebarns.com and cast your vote, and then come back here and leave a comment saying you did

www.bestofthebarns.com

For extra entries

2. Follow Crystal Cattle's blog and leave a comment saying you do

3. Follow Purple Banner Designs and leave a comment saying you do

4. Tweet about this contest, include the hashtag #bestofthebarns and leave a comment saying you did

5. Blog about this contest and leave a comment saying you did

6. Post about this contest on your Facebook page and leave a comment saying you did

Good luck to everyone. We'll draw for a winner at noon, on Monday, November 7.

Trick or Treat it's Moving Day

2011-11-01T07:24:00.002-06:00

No goblins, just a lot of boxes

After a crazy week of packing up boxes it was time to move from my Missouri residence of near four years and head northeast to my new home in Iowa. I don't consider my self a collector or a pack rat, yet it is amazing home much stuff you can collect over the years.

And therefore the most logical way for a farm girl to move is a truck and livestock trailer.

The Boy brought down the stock trailer on Thursday night, and left it parked on our residential street through Sunday while we were getting engagement pictures done and spending some time at The American Royal. I am not sure what our neighbors thought. In a way they should be used to it. My roommate Robin parent's often laid over at our house with seed tenders and other farm equipment in tow.

It all fit, with plenty of room to spare. I was lucky that the Boy decided that he would at least pressure wash the stock trailer out and lay some tarps down before we loaded everything.

It was a little surreal arriving at our new home last night. I still had my trusty red suitcase, but it finally dawned on me that this time I could actually unpack it. Although, at this time I have no idea where I am going to put my stuff! Wish us luck with the merging of two closets.

Crystal Cattle Wedding: Engagement Photos

2011-10-31T09:48:00.000-06:00

Up Bright and Early

This weekend the Boy and I had an awesome time with our friends. It was our annual American Royal together weekend, which meant great cattle, wonderful friends and lots of laughs. This year we also throw in engagement photos.

I really can not say enough wonderful this about our photographer Chris of La Brisa Photography. I have admired his work for a long time, and we are so excited for him to be our wedding photographer.

The morning started REALLY early. By 6:30 a.m. we were in my car and headed to Smithville Lake, Missouri. Chris thought it would be awesome to start off the day with a sunrise session, so did we. We just forgot how cold it was going to be. Chris, the Boy and I braved the below freezing temperatures but as you can see it was definitely worth it.

You can check out the rest of our teaser photos at La Brisa Photography's Facebook page and be sure to give them a like.

Rockin' Rural Women

2011-10-28T07:00:00.001-06:00

Pretty cool ladies.

Recently, I have gotten involved in a group called Rockin' Rural Women. Is is a group for women from across the world to join in and celebrate the rural lifestyle. That means those women who live on an acreage outside of town, those women who run 500 head of cattle or those women who work on a multi-generational grain farm and everyone in between.

Last night we had a launch party on our Facebook page, and today I want to introduce you to a really cool Rockin' Rural Women. We haven't met in person yet, but our paths are going to cross at the National AgriWomen Conference in November, where I am speaking, and I can't wait. So here is Celeste!

A bit about me ~

Doesn't she have the
best hair!

I am a proud farmers daughter steeped in the rich traditions of all things agriculture! By day I am a fresh vegetable commodities broker and when that is complete I work side by side with my family on our Red Angus cow /calf operation. This past year I have ventured out and created Couture Cowgirl Communications where I do a whole lot of fun things including a weekly blog, write a column and special features for the livestock magazine Pacific Showcase, promote and assist with the marketing of fellow cattle operators, weekly fashion minute on farm radio in the midwest and finally my one true love which I am trying to build bigger and better - speaking on behalf of rural America! I especially love speaking to groups of young people hoping to empower them to be their best selves!!

I am the current president of California Women for Agriculture, board member of my local farm bureau, legislative director for California Cattlewomen and proud member of American Agriwomen!

I am also a very proud Zia to my niece Paige and looking forward to her starting 4-H and helping her with her projects – keeping my fingers crossed she will want a little heifer to show – no pressure !!!

What is a RRW~

A Rockin' Rural Women is one that steps out of her comfort zone and finds the “magic”- she is committed to her rural roots but is not afraid to get out there and tell her ag story to all those that will listen, empowering folks along the way! I believe as a RRW it is my obligation to fellow farmers and ranchers and to my family to share the ag story!

Biggest Social Media Tip ~

Celeste & her niece

Be yourself - there are a lot of folks on social media who do wonderful things with their facebook page or blog through fonts and photos and beautiful graphics but some of us aren’t as techy as others and that’s ok – your social media platform is a canvas to express yourself, share your thoughts, your pictures and your story like you know how. No one expects you to be someone else so there is no need for you to think that way either! There is a whole world of wonderful people out there that share the same passion as you do , I love connecting with them and then finally meeting them! I have made some amazing friends through social media circles. Use these new friends to help you share your ag story!

Favorite Social Media Tool ~

I think the ability to “tag” a person is a great thing! I am all about promoting fellow ag enthusiasts and it gets me excited to be able to share my friends with others. By tagging you can express your thoughts, be a champion for others and share with them at the same time. I believe social media is not all about me but about the connections I have created that make me better!

Where can people connect with me ~

I am on facebook or you can follow my blog Couture Cowgirl or twitter at couturecowgirl7. My facebook is a place to share news and information on agriculture issues, my thoughts and current events, we throw in a bit of personal fun every now and then too and I love pictures!! My blog started just this year and I am constantly learning, my blog covers everything from clothes to cows. We talk current trends in fashion and offer up fashion advice and tips, I also like to share my ag adventures and special features on special people in my life. My fashion followers enable me build the bridge and connect over to the world of agriculture.

Three favs in my closet ~

Scarves – I love scarves and wraps and have trillions of them in all patterns, textures and colors, I really believe they add to an outfit and pretty much any time of the year if weather permits I have some sort of scarf wrapped around my neck.

Bracelets, bracelets and more bracelets – there is always a party happening on my arm !

Cowboy Boots – Love my boots and wear them with dresses and with jeans. I have lots of cowboy boots but my favs are my brown leather pointed toe with flower embroidery.

I think with these three staples you can spice up any outfit, they are timeless and fun and can really make an outfit pop!

Turquoise Thursday Armparty

2011-10-27T12:15:00.004-06:00

Add a little turquoise

So I've kind of been slacking on my Turquoise Thursday but I am back with two #armparties that can be found on my friends' wrists and a new one for me!

I immediately noticed my friend Hannah's wrist at National FFA Convention. She got this beautiful turquoise and leather bracelet from Classic Leather Designs. I have featured their belts on my blog before, and they make amazing pieces. My photography was a little shaky that day but Classic Leather Designs has more photos up on their Facebook page.

So pretty! This might make a nice Christmas present for your friends or myself. Remember I like black and turquoise. Don't wait until the last minute though because Classic Leather Designs's stuff sells out fast and I know they will be at NFR.

The next #armparty belongs to my friend Abby. Abby always has an awesome #armparty, so I decided to help her add a little more to it. The turquoise and silver bracelet is by Fossil, and was part of Abby's birthday gift. The bobble bracelet is from Silpada and the A bracelet is gift she received a long time ago.

Finally, I wanted to share with you one of my latest #armparties. I am thinking I might want a Michael Kors watch for Christmas, but it has been forever since I have worn a watch. So I picked up this New York and Company watch on sale ($14.99!). I really like it and paired it with this turquoise and gold bracelet that I bought at a boutique in Oklahoma City.

If you have a #armparty to share email me a picture at crystalcattleblog@gmail.com

Networking, and reaching your goal

2011-10-26T06:08:00.001-06:00

Grow, expand, connect.

On Thursday, I am going to be a part of a networking event, put on by the Livestock Publications Council, for Agricultural Communications students or students that might be interested in that career path. It isn't too late to sign up so I encourage you to check out all the details on the ACT Speed Networking Event in conjunction with the American Royal.

Now for a couple tips:

1. The Basics
Sometimes you don't have a lot of time to connect with people. Have your elevator speech (a spiel about yourself that you could communicate to someone before they get of the elevator) ready to go, business cards handy, and it doesn't hurt to have a few resumes with you just incase you find that perfect opportunity.

2. Tell Someone Your Dreams
My favorite thing to ask people - What do you want to do with your life, where do you want to go, how can I help you get there? If you never share these thoughts with people they can't help you achieve your dreams. I know sometimes we don't have everything planned out 100% or our plans might change a little bit along the way, but it is important to think about where you want to be so you can lay a plan out to get there, and find the right people to put on your team.

3. Image does matter
I wrote a post called Image Doesn't Matter back at the beginning of my blogging career. Well, no matter how many times you heard your mother say it image actually really does matter. Your image in front of me, your social media image, and how you are perceived by your peers and those in the industry all matters. Quoted from my blog, "Here is what goes through a recruiter’s head when they see your Facebook picture of your recent record-setting keg-stand? - click here to find out.

4. Social Media presence
First, and most important rule. Don't set up a social media account if you aren't going to use it. That means Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blogging and all the other ones out there. If you create an account be engaged. Also remember that just because you are using social media doesn't mean you are a social media expert. In my mind no one is.

5. Stay in touch
Remember afterwards to keep in touch. The people you meet while networking could be the people that open the door to the exact opportunity you have been looking for. Also, you might not get an internship or job with one of these people, but that doesn't mean they can't be a mentor for you. Plus, who doesn't like thank you notes.

Good luck with your dream and goals, and if you are looking for internships this summer be sure to check out the ACT Internship Job Board.

How will farmer's feed the world?

2011-10-25T06:55:00.001-06:00

Lots of ideas

While at the National FFA Convention I noticed the Farm Journal Foundation booth. Their theme was based on Farmer's Feeding the World. Definitely something that is important to me. I know that each day the beef my family and friends is raising is going to help feed our families, our communities and people that we have never met before.

FFA and Farm Journal are partnering to spread hunger awareness in their own communities and in communities around the world. In the Farm Journal booth they had a huge white board that you could write down how you would help fight hunger.

FFA members wrote their thoughts and ideas down about how they could help fight hunger.

These are all fantastic ideas. I agree that those that are more fortunate need to be aware that there is a very strong need by people in less fortunate situations. According to the National FFA Foundation Executive Director Rob Cooper, "In the U.S. 44 percent of people live at or below the poverty level and can't afford food for themselves or their families."

But what about a lot of the ideas that were left off the board. Like using technology to produce more with what resources we are given in. Farmers are able to produce so much more with much less because of improved agricultural practices.

Even those people that want to have a little garden in their bag yard have the capabilities the improve their soil with fertilizers, and ward of pests with pesticides and insecticides. That is probably the last thing that some of you want to hear, but if I have put my blood and sweat into growing that tomato I am going to make sure it has every chance to survive! Now if you choose to go the all natural route, good for you. That is why agriculture is so awesome - lots of choices in how we produce our food.

So although food drives and food pantries are great, let's think a little broader about how we can fight hunger. What would you have wrote on this board?

Hunk of Meat Monday: Freezing Soup

2011-10-23T22:17:00.001-06:00

Pinterest has genius ideas.

I would like to once again profess my love to Pinterest. Awhile ago I came across an idea for freezing soup, which is perfect when you are cooking for one (soon to be two).

I decided to try my bright idea out on Debbie Lyon's Beef Enchilada Soup recipes because it is amazing, and one of my favorite crock pot recipes. What I love about this recipe is 1. it contains beef, 2. the ingredients are really easy and 3. you just throw it in the crock pot and come home and boom supper is ready.

All the ingredients you need + taco seasoning + lean beef (90% lean is what I use)

However, this recipe makes a lot of soup. I actually only use 2 or 3 pounds of beef in my recipe instead of the four it calls for. So what are you to do with all the extras? Get out your muffin pans.

Pour the left over soup into the muffin pans. For this I used my jumbo muffin pans, but you can use the regular sized ones too. Then pop the muffin pans into the freezer.

Once the soup is frozen, pop the frozen soup out. I ran a little hot water over the outside of the pan to help them come lose. Next place 2-3 of the frozen soup pieces for large pans or 3-4 for small pans into freezer bags. Then the next time you are needing a meal all you have to do is grab a bag out of the feezer and bam you have a meal! Anyone else have some awesome soup recipes they would love to share?

For more Hunk of Meat Mondays visit Leah Beyer's blog or Katie Pinke's blog. They are both Rockin' Rural Women with all kinds of awesome recipes for you and your family to enjoy.

FFA Convention and lots of new friends

2011-10-23T12:49:00.001-06:00

FFA + Friendship

Last week I was in Indianapolis for my very first National FFA Convention experience, and it was awesome. I was there will be new company and we were launching a brand new rewards program. Throughout the week I had the opportunity to meet tons of my social media friends! Similar to when I met Katie Pinke it was awesome to finally meet some of these people face to face.

Morgan (@MMuller24) follows my blog, and is from Iowa. It was so fun to meet lots of people from Iowa since I'll be calling it home very soon!

Heyley Heupel (@heyleyheupel) was competing at National FFA. It was so much fun to chat to these girls. It is pretty clear that FFA members have their heads on straight. Big goals and aspirations with the tools to get there.

One night we had some fun at Howl at the Moon, and this was wrote on one of the mirrors. I guess advocacy can show up in the strangest places.

Now these were probably the two most photo genetic FFA members I met. @NEBenOhio tells me that is is the jacket that makes so photo genetic! @CarolineWeihl is the Ohio State FFA District 1President aka a pretty big deal. Someone needs to give this girl an amazing internship this summer.

I was able to stop by the K-State College of Ag booth while I was there, and they gave me a little flair.

And while at the K-State booth I worked on recruiting another Iowa friend Bobbi to get her master's at K-State. I told her the green screen could help her "visualize" herself at K-State.

There was also Kelli, she was there as a Media Intern. I'm also going to see her next week at the American Royal. Another really talented Ag Communications gal that needs a rocking internship this summer.

And Drew, who is an ag teacher in Ohio. He's also great help at suggesting great places to eat in Indy.

Katie Pinke and I got to reunite, along with a first time meeting of Leah Beyer. She is a really cool gal, I think a Rockin' Rural Women kind of girl best explains her. More of RRW to come soon. Leah is also the mastermind behind Hunk of Meat Mondays.

And @NellieHill a fellow K-Stater and the girl behind @kstateag She was the first one to come over to the booth and surprise me! I also get pumped when I meet other K-Staters.

And the very last person who stopped by the booth was @JakeKnutson. I've been following Jake on Instagram for awhile and I love the pictures that him and his brother post. Jake was there a proficiency finalist, which also makes him a pretty big deal. Jake's excitement is contagious and you can tell that he has a true passion for livestock and agriculture through his picture.

I know that I have missed a few people, but I loved meeting all of you! Next time you are at an event, convention or meeting don't be afraid to seek out your online friends. Having conversation in real life is even better than what you type out on your keyboard.

Miss America has a message to share

2011-10-19T07:58:00.001-06:00

Pageant Queens, Farmer and Ranchers

Back in the spring I wrote about a wonderful message Miss America Teresa Scanlan was sharing, and she still supports that message today. The message it centered around the questions how do farmers and ranchers affect your life. I answered this question back in my April blog post, but I want you to keep thinking about your answer.

Help Teresa spread her message, and be thinking about show you can share your own message. You don't have to be Miss America to share your passions with others. Speak up, or maybe "type up" if that is more your style. By talking about what we love, in my case agriculture, we can hope that people will take a minute and realize the value in what we are doing.

I'm a Farm Doll

2011-10-17T06:52:00.002-06:00

If you missed it the Southern Stylist featured me on her blog as a Farm Doll - what a fun term! Sheena is a pretty cool lady herself. I truly southern girl herself this girl knows fashion, is a wedding planner and has some awesome recipes. She has this recipe for Sugared Pecans on her blog that looks amazing. I'm thinking some of them packaged real cute would make the perfect Christmas gifts.

Keep checking out her blog as she adds more Farm Dolls.

And be sure to search for Sheena or SouthernStylist on Instagram!

Who says that country, rural and urban don't mix!

I care for them just as good as you do

2011-10-14T09:40:00.005-06:00

Putting my animals' needs before my own.

Remember that AWFUL story about the animal abuse at the E6 Cattle, a dairy in Texas? I was disgusted with the disrespect and lack of care shown to those calves. The story was broke by a Mercy For Animals uncover investigator. I was also appalled that their uncover agent could stand there and not help those animals. I have the same about of respect for that person as the persons committing the abuse - NONE.

Mercy For Animals decided to give a six month update on four of the calves that they rescued, and placed on their farm sanctuary. I am appreciative of them for helping these animals and nurturing them back to health.

They make two statements in the article:

"...with round the clock attention, love and veterinary care, all four calves are now healthy, strong and enjoying the good life."

"While the recovery of these beautiful calves inspires hope, there are still many animals suffering at the hands of the meat, dairy and egg industries today. Luckily, each of us can help prevent the needless cruelty and violence these animals endure by making the switch to a healthy and compassionate vegan diet."

Simmental cows
at my family's farm
in Alberta, Canada

Now I would like to provide a statement.

My family, fiancé's and I give our animals all the attention they need - no it's not around the clock, but at 3 o'clock in the morning my cows are sleeping and don't need anything, so we are in bed, that's unless they decide 3 o'clock is a great time to calf. Then out of bed we climb.

Our calves and cows' health is our number priority. We consult with both veterinarians and nutritionists to ensure that we have a proper health and nutrition plan set up for our animals. I really do love our cattle. The Boy and I had a calf get really sick and die this fall. We saw his symptoms early on, had a vet come out to do a check up and treated him with the prescribed medicines, but he still died. It broke both the Boy and I's heart to lose him. Our animals are part of our family.

However, in saying all this I am still going to eat meat. You eating meat has nothing to go with the level of care given or not given to animals. And because we have lots of choices you can either go to Wal-mart and purchase your beef or you can go to a local farmer and purchase you beef. Both equally suitable options, you make the choice.

Don't let groups like MFA, HSUS and PETA fool you. I do everything in my power to ensure that my animals are care of, and that other people in the farming and ranching industry are doing the same.

Fat and happy Hereford cows at JJB Cattle Co

Welcome to the Cattle Hair Salon

2011-10-12T06:59:00.000-06:00

Do you need a wash or a trim?

The cattle that my family and that the Boy raise are purebred cattle (this means that they have registration papers just like a purebred dog would). We also show our cattle (similar to a dog show) and this helps us market our cattle and genetics.

This fall my family will be showing quite a few animals, and my dad has been working hard on getting them in show shape. This means brushing, washing and even giving them hair cuts (we call this clipping).

So today I would like to present you with the steps of washing cows.

First you need to tie your cow's head up tight. This will help restrict their movement.

First you take a garden hose with a nozzle on it and wet down the entire animal. After this step I take a mild soap (we often use a mild dish soap) and put that all over the animal's body.

Then I take a scrub brush and work in the soap. Cattle usually really like being washed because of the scrubbing. It is like an all over massage.

And as you can see washing cattle gets the cattle really clean, but you get really dirty. At least diamonds are really durable.

Once I've scrubbed and rinsed all the soap out of the animal, then it is time to brush. We'll take two types of brushes to brush all the hair in one direction, usually forward and up at an angle.

You can see I've brushed the top part forward. All the hair must be brush forward in the same direction. Part of the grooming process is to accentuate the good parts of the animal and hides its flaws.

And finally we use a giant hair dryer called a blower to dry the animal's hair. All in the day of working on some show cattle.