Skogafoss - A Connection from Iceland to Finland to Me

Thus far, none of the 2026 BreyerFest horses have been ones that I felt I had to have (although I do want the Man O' War.) That changed yesterday.

 Skogafoss, the 2026 crystal, was introduced. I was excited when I saw it and could see a lot of connections between this piece and me. Often it is those connections that drive our decisions as to what we buy for our collections.

 A mold I love by my favorite Breyer sculptor and in crystal? Win, win, win!

Kathleen Moody's Icelandic Horse from 1992 was Breyer's first porcelain. (The cold cast porcelains from 1991 were not porcelains - they were a mix of resin powder and other ingredients.) 

Skogafoss is that piece shrunk down to 5" and produced in crystal.

Not only is he a favorite of mine, but a few years ago Mountain Mama Jessica told me that she really liked him, too, and asked if she could have him some day. (Channeling Miss Mila only in a more tactful way! LOL)

I named my Icelandic Jaarko and he did well in live shows for me. (1997 NAN)

As for the name, he was named after my friend Merja Voutilainen's son, Jaarko. 

Merja is from Espoo, Finland. Her husband, Jake, had come to the USA to attend the University of Illinois and we met at church. Merja and I were delighted to discover that we were both horsey gals.

We spent a lot of time together at the barn with Indy and our kids. 

Indy with (from left), Jessica, Sarah, and Maria, Merja's oldest daughter. Taken about 1986.

After completing his studies, Jake and Merja moved their family back to Finland. Thanks to Facebook, she and I have been able to stay in touch.

Jake and Merja at home in Finland - notice her tee shirt!

Merja and her daughter, Bella, still ride together, although they have to work around Finland's brutal winters. 

Celebrating a recent birthday with horsey cakes. 

Merja and I have not seen each other since she moved back to Finland, but those horsey bonds go deep and are still there.

And so, Skogafoss represents a lot of connections for me. He is definitely a must-have and at the very top of my list of pieces that I want from BreyerFest this year.

I don't name my crystals, but maybe I will this year. Maybe "Jake" after Merja's husband. ("Jake" is pronounced "YAH-kay" in Finnish.)

I might name the Celebration Horse after Merja, too. (Pronounced MEH-dee-uh.")

Stay 'tooned!

"Get Yer Tickets Now!"

Today is the day - tickets for BreyerFest 2026 go on sale. Breyer's email did not list a time but said it would be in the afternoon and to check back. 

Ironically, I had a blog post in the works for today about all the BreyerFest models Breyer has revealed so far. 

Corgi Hill Flinka, the 2016 Celebration Horse.

I've bumped that and will post it in a day or two.

I've never bought my tickets early, especially since Breyer became a hybrid event with an online component. Why? Well, I have hoped against hope that I would be able to go in person as I have in years past, and I would be waiting as the event got closer to see how my health was. For the past five years, I have not been up to going and ended up buying the online ticket just before tickets sales closed.

This year, I'm not even questioning it. In-person BreyerFest, with the heat and the crowds and the walking is no longer possible for me. I've accepted that, and while it makes me sad, I have come to love the online aspect of it and have my own routine for the event that I really enjoy. (And in air conditioned comfort, too!)

 And so, I will be buying my tickets today, and I am excited about that. Last year, for the first time ever, I bought more than one ticket. It seemed logical, seeing as I was saving a lot of money on gas, motels, and restaurants.

My plan today is to do that again, although I am still thinking about how that is going to look.

At this point I am leaning toward buying two Online Traditional tickets. I don't want any of the Limited Editions but I do want a couple of the Special Runs so it makes sense to get two of those as opposed to one Online Traditional and one online Stablemates ticket. (Sorry this screenshot is so tiny.)

If you will be going in person to BreyerFest, here are your ticket choices.

There has been some chatter online about the $1,000 cost for the VIP ticket. Some people are appalled, but others say it is actually reasonable for what you receive.

Regardless, it is certainly a benchmark of a sorts, a price that has not been asked before for any of Breyer's events and one that is out of many people's budgets. Having said that, Breyer has given collectors several alternatives that are much more affordable. There are six ticket options and as I see it, something for everyone.

Tomorrow I will post the revealed BreyerFest models.

Stay 'tooned!

Collections Within My Collection: Outliers - the "Augarten"

I have a lot of "outliers" in my collection, pieces that don't really fit into any category with other models. But they are still part of a grouping within my collections, the outlier group. 

What would you do if you looked up in an antique shop and spied this piece on a high shelf?

Here is the story of what I did:

Years ago, collector and antique dealer Christina Dils gave some advice on her blog and suggested that collectors should look at the top shelves and the bottom shelves, not just the middle ones, when out looking for HSOs.

 It was good advice and I have had several good finds as a result of applying it. In 2021 I applied Christina's advice and found this piece.

I happened to look up at a shelf as I walked past and saw this beautiful Lippizaner performing the courbette. "Oh, my gosh!" I gasped. "Is that what I think it is?"

I stood on tiptoe and carefully lifted it down so I could look at the piece. According to the label it was an Augarten! My first!! 

But I began to wonder if it might be something else after I got it home and unwrapped it for pictures.

Would an Augarten have skewed nostrils? Surely not.

I took a photo of the mark under the base and googled the history of the company's stamps.

Hmmmm, the mark was right, but the more I looked at the piece, the more I realized that it did not feel the way a fine porcelain would feel.

It was lighter and when I flicked a finger against it, made the same "thunky" sound similar to the sound some of my Japan chinas make when tapped.

Googling the actual piece answered my question. Augarten Lippizaners have gold bells in their manes and tails and the rider is more refined and has his head tilted down more than mine.

So, I had an imitation. I was disappointed but I wasn't angry or upset.

My three favorite breeds of horses are Appaloosas, Tennessee Walkers, and Lippizaners. This Lippizaner is still a nice piece, skewed nostrils and all. 

It may be a copy, but I like it and it's staying in my collection.

I wrote that back in 2021. But since then, I have had doubts about my dismissal of the piece. The more I look at it, the more I think that, even if it isn't an Augarten piece, it is still a quality piece.

But what is it? Have any of you ever seen this Lippizaner? Or heard of Augartens painted with silver rather than gold tack? Could it be a cheaper piece the company produced for souvenirs, perhaps at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna?

Any feedback or links would be helpful. TIA! (horsiemama8@gmail.com)

Cherry Blossom Cookies

I love cherries. Cherry pie, Cherry Coke, Cherry Dr. Pepper, maraschino cherries, cherry jam, cherries picked right off the tree...

So, when this recipe from Taste of Home crossed my social media feed, I stopped scrolling and took a closer look. Cherries and chocolate? I was all in!

Immediately I checked for the ingredients in my cupboard and added a jar of maraschino cherries to the grocery list.

But then, I found another recipe for the same cookies.

One where the amounts of some of the ingredients varied slightly. I took a close look at the two, but essentially they were the same cookie.

I decided to try the first recipe and after a quick grocery run by Craig, I got started. (Stay in the house for weeks because of cold and snow, but when cookies are calling, the elements are braved!)

I started by chopping up the maraschino cherries and draining them. Remember my blue hands from the indigo-dyed fabric? Change that color to red and you had my hands! Be sure to keep paper towels handy. You will be glad you did.

I mixed up the ingredients 

and rolled them into balls. The second recipe had you roll those balls in granulated sugar before baking, but the first did not. Next time I make these, I will roll them in sugar. 

I unwrapped the Hershey Kisses while the cookies baked. After 10 minutes in a 350 oven, they were firm but still soft - just what I wanted. (Check the edges. If they look a little brown or dry, pull the cookies out.)

I quickly pressed a Kiss into each one. (Note to self: unwrap more Kisses than cookies for taste testing. Hah!)

And after two minutes, I moved them to cooling racks.

The cookies were good but not as yummy as I'd expected. I again compared the first recipe to the second and combined the two into one recipe that I plan to try again.

Here is my modified recipe in case you want to make Cherry Blossom Cookies, too:

Cherry Blossom Cookies

1 c. butter, softened

1 c. powdered sugar

2 c. flour

1/2 c. chopped and drained maraschino cherries (a 10 oz. jar)

1/4 t. salt (optional;  I will probably leave this out)

1 T. maraschino cherry juice

1 t. almond extract

6 drops red food coloring (if desired)

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1 bag of Hershey Kisses 

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Cream butter and powdered sugar together and then slowly add the cherries, salt, juice, almond extract, and food coloring. Mix in the flour a half cup at a time.

Roll the dough into balls and then roll them in the granulated sugar. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and quickly press a Hershey Kiss into each cookie. Let set a couple of minutes and then remove from cookie sheet and onto racks for cooling.

Yield: 24 cookies

New Beginnings!

New beginnings. A new month can bring just that, and other new things, too. Such as...

A New Model!

Lisboa arrived Saturday and after giving him time to warm up to room temperature (he'd sat in the mailbox in single digit temperatures most of the day),

I opened him. And he is stunning. But he is not staying. I'd traded him for BreyerMidwest's Beau N' Arrow. I've already boxed him up again and will send him off today.

A New Winter Coat!

Lisa has been concerned about Mama and Nashie as they take their walks in this extremely cold weather.

Molly wasn't sure what to do in her spiffy new coat (in Purdue colors!) so she finally just laid down and went to sleep! (Sweet girl, you never fail to make me smile.)

Nashie is too big for the coat Lisa got him so she will keep looking.

A New Baby!

Jaycie and Elsie Mae went to Montana to visit Gimme and Grandad while JC studied for some very important tests back in Idaho.

The smiles that Elsie Mae gives her Gimme!! 

To see my oldest daughter with her first grandchild brings me to tears every time I watch it.  "Gimme that baby" indeed! 

A New Blanket!

We celebrated Vanessa's birthday this weekend and gave her a snuggly warm comforter that she'd been wanting.

She and the kids tried it out. (Yes, those dogs wanted in on the fun, and after the photo was taken, Gus joined his family on the couch.)

New Snow

February, I told you to stop January's craziness, and on the second day of your month you let it snow?

I am so intrigued by the ground movement the snows have helped bring to light. This is a stepping stone in my garden that's been uplifted. 

And my bird bath looks like the Leaning Tower of Pisa!

New Places!

Lucky Curt!

A college roommate of his is on sabbatical in England and teaching at a university there. He invited Curt to come over and spend a week with him.

The ruins of Fountains Abbey.

 

So ethereal. Haunting.

And a picture he took just for me.

Charles Dickens' final resting place in Westminster Abbey.

A New Pose!

Or maybe I should say, a new impediment. I couldn't get up while she laid like this on my foot. (Although I must say, that foot was very toasty!) For sharp eyed readers, yes, those are Breyer socks I am wearing. That pair happened to match my dress and I wore them to church that morning. LOL

So February, there are lots of new beginnings already. I'll overlook that snow we got overnight if you will try to stop sending cold weather our way, okay?

Stay 'tooned,  ya'll,  and we will see what February does together. 

Welcome, February!

Happy February, ya'll! Although Indiana is still in this kind of mode:

Does this place look familiar? 

Here's a look at it in October - I drive right down that drive in this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-xxtHwRlPc&t=57s

The temperature when I let the dogs out this morning was -4 and we are under yet another cold weather advisory. With snow expected tomorrow. And an unexpected dusting of snow that occurred yesterday. (As I write, a snowplow just went by.)

February, please do better than January!!

The silver lining of a terrible month of weather is that I spent a lot of time sewing. I cut out and finished seven chemises

and six trade shirts, three of which I completed just this past week.

This one was finished yesterday afternoon, and an hour after I posted it, it sold to a re-enactor in Nebraska. I had intended to take it to Kalamazoo, but I'm not going to turn down a sale.

This block print was a little tricky because of the regularity of the floral pattern. I had to center the pattern on it and then, when I opened the neck, I had to be sure to cut right down the center of the flowers.

But it was this block print pattern that gave me the most difficulties of the week.

It is a fabulous print, but it, too, had to be carefully cut out so that the print was centered.

The fabric also felt heavy and almost a little "sticky." I knew what that meant, and immediately I covered my ironing board with an old pillowcase and prepared for dye transfer!

Sure enough, soon my fingers were turning blue.

Even my fingernails turned blue!

After I finished it, I washed it three times to get rid of the excess indigo and now I feel comfortable that any dye transfer is under control.

Despite the extra work, the shirt turned out really cool and I think it will sell quickly.

One last gasp from January about sewing - I got a top of the line pair of Italian sewing shears from Craig for Christmas.***  I'd been wanting to splurge and get them for a long time, and he made that happen for me. (Thanks, Craig!)

Yesterday I was preparing for a marathon pattern cutting out session of more 18th century trade shirts and I decided to try out my new shears. As I opened them, the note on the back of the box gave me pause and then made me laugh.

They really are exceptional shears, but I would never say that the "countless details" in what I sew "have been shaped to reflect" who I am. Nor do I think chemises and trade shirts are part of my "skill and passion for self expression..." Seriously, they're just fun to make!

I quickly discovered, though, that it is true that my new Italian shears "are ideal for crisp, clean cuts" so I guess I will ignore the rest of the hyperbole and just enjoy that.

Here's hoping for better weather for February. If that doesn't happen, well, at least it's a short month!

*** Cole and Emily also got me a pair of electric shears for Christmas. I haven't tried them yet but I will and will let you know how they work. Thanks, Cole and Emily!