Carousel Horse Stencils

Some time ago, Amanda at Keeping it Low Key shared the horsey themed decorations she made for her daughter's room, and that triggered fond memories for me of my childhood bedroom.

For my tenth birthday, I was allowed to redo my room, within certain allowable parameters. (I wanted blue walls; my mother wanted lavender; the walls were painted lavender.)

The best feature of the redecorating, without a doubt, was a series of custom carousel horse stencils that my aunt painstakingly created based on a coloring book I had. Every single one was unique. When I moved out and my bedroom was turned into the guest room, they were all painted over, but not before I took photos of every single one. Here are some of my favorites.

Horse Christmas Ornaments

Our Christmas tree has four main themes: geeky (Back to the Future, Star Trek, Doctor Who), Swedish (tre kronor, "God Jul," flags, Dala horses), Boston sports (Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, and the infamous Rene Rancournament) and...equestrian.

Here are some of my favorite equestrian ornaments, from a collection built over the last few years.

One of my favorites, from Maple Landmark Woodcraft in my college town.

A gift from my aunt and uncle.

My newest, an instant favorite. I bought it at The Breakers while at a work conference.

Do you have any horse-themed ornaments or holiday decorations? What are they?

Etsy Shopping Guide: Vintage Horses

I have an Etsy problem. It's not as severe as it could be, given my horse-induced perpetually broke state, but it still qualifies as a problem. I start looking at gorgeous things on that site and I get sucked in and two hours later I'm sighing over an Art Deco inspired Star Wars end table.

I thought I'd put together a few posts of nifty horse-related things to buy on Etsy in advance of the holiday season - or, you know, any time you need to gift something to another horse lover in your life. I'm thinking that some of these in particular might make lovely trainer/barn manager/vet gifts.

First up: let's talk vintage horse items. I happen to have a tiny collection of vintage horse objects that I love, and any of these would fit in great on my shelves.

US Cavalry Saddle Bags ($249.99)

As soon as I saw these I let out a pathetic, besotted sigh. These went with a McClellan saddle, arguably the greatest military saddle the United States has ever produced. I wrote my master's thesis on the beginnings of the US Cavalry, so I'm more than a bit of a buff.

Beyond that, though, they're just gorgeous - all those buckles and the wonderful soft supple leather. Lovely.








Art Deco Knife Rests ($79.00)

I'll be honest: I'm not entirely sure what a knife rest is, or why one would be needed.

But aren't these lovely? I love the long lean lines of them, the elongated yet elegant neck and backs.

Equestrian Horse Head Cigarette Holder ($32.00)

In my opinion, this is the best bargain on the list. It has great Art Deco lines, is in beautiful condition, and actually has some practical use - it's not just a tchotchke for a shelf. I think this would look incredibly classy on an office desk.

Brass Winged Horse Figurine ($10.00)

This is tiny but whimsical, and would make a nice shelf piece, especially for such a low price.












Vintage Hunting Candy Tin ($14.99)

Another small and sweet item. I particularly like vintage hunting themed items, and this one has the added bonus of being on a tin that could be repurposed for all sorts of other things.