Bling

Anyone who knows me knows I’m all about the bling. Ever since I was a little girl I was into personal adornment. I used to wear three belts at once: one to hold my pants up, one to hold my gun and holster, and one for good luck. That one was brown leather with colored sparkly stones attached. (The rest of the outfit included: jeans, red faux cowboy boots, a bandanna, red cowboy hat, and a flannel shirt. My Mom finally stopped me wearing it in July during a 90 plus degree day. I claimed it made me feel cooler; she claimed I would die of heat stroke.)

To school I’d wear crystal necklaces all a-glitter from my Grammy’s jewel box, or flashy scatter pins. I remember one dress in particular that Grammy made me that was turquoise in color with a pattern of bumblebees. She bought two bumblebee pins with amber-colored stones to wear with it. I felt like the Queen Bee.

Unfortunately, horses and bling don’t go well together. Horses are just such grubby creatures: rolling, as they do, in the dirt; eating, as they do, off the ground; and pooping, as they do, where they are most likely to step in it. I have a very nice T-shirt with the American flag picked out in crystals on the front, but I wore it one Memorial Day for a ride and of course it got permanently stained. I can still wear it for riding, but not out in polite company.

But now I have found a perfect way to include bling in my equine world. I’ve sent for one of those tasseled crocheted fly things that fit over the ears and forehead of a horse. Champagne loves them; he puts his head way down so I can easily slip it on. The new one will be black in honor of his coloring.

I went bead shopping Monday, and I have a plan to attach beads and bells between each tassel. The bells are little gold jingle bells. I rattled them to be sure that they had a tiny little sound so as not to drive both of us crazy. The rest of the beads are black and/or gold. I also got a slightly larger jet pendant for the middle of his forehead. I’ll string them on flexible beading wire to be durable.

I expect Champagne will have an Arabian harem look with bling on his brow. Photos will be supplied when the project is complete.