Monday, July 21, 2014

Pony Pizza Parties...it's the new trend in our barn, it should be at yours too!


This past Saturday we had the first (of many) Pony Pizza parties at our farm! Pony Pizza party?! Yes, a crazy, wild, Ponylicious Pizza Party! How did we even come up with the idea? Connie Fry and super fun small business, The Pony Pizza Company.




Connie stumbled upon The Pink Pony  (we love hearing people just finding their way to the blog! So fun!) and messaged me saying she would love to tell me more about her company and possibly be featured. When she told me about her company and I checked them out... my first thought was pizza for ponies?! How brilliantly fun! Connie and The Pony Pizza Company were way too ponylicious to pass up, and after receiving samples, our horses and ponies couldn't deny
that they absolutely belonged on our blog with an amazing feature of their own!




The company was started in 2013. After years of having this great idea, Connie started playing with taste testing her pony pizzas with the help of some very willing participants at her farm. All her taste testers were immediately pizza fanatics just like most of their human counterparts have been for years! Who doesn't love a good pizza, right?  Today, Connie has her scrumptious, gourmet, pony pizzas made in a commercial bakery and is loving meeting new people and seeing how much ponies, horses, puppies and even a few goats truly love her tasty idea.



Since, I typically feature young equestrian fashion and accessories for both child riders and their ponies, I was a little nervous to do a photo shoot for a treat. I was stumped for a little. I really felt like just doing a product shot wasn't enough to showcase the fun spirit this specific treat has. There was also no way Natalie's lively welsh, Sparkle, would not eat a pizza in one swift lick. Then the CRAZY thought crossed my mind, what about a pony pizza party?



 



Sparkle and Natalie both turn 5 in September, so why not celebrate their (early) birthdays with our young barn friends and some ponies from the farm. Fabulous idea in theory, adorable and funny in person, but a bit wild to photograph. Overall, I think the craziness allowed me to capture fun photos showing the fun spirit of this treat.


 


Whether it's an everyday snack or for a special pony pizza party, The Pony Pizza Company is the couture, but fun horse treat your pony (or horse) will love you a little more for! My overly picky OTTB ate them right up without a second thought, and that is really saying something! Check them out and host your own pony pizza party, it is a fun way to spend time with ponylicious friends and make some wild pony pizza memories!





You can purchase your own pony pizzas with two topping choices, Mint-O-Roni or Molasses Sausage, as well as options of mini pizzas or a full sized 9 inch pizza that is delivered in a real pizza box! Visit The Pony Pizza Company on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ponypizzacompany, on Instagram at www.Instagram.com/ponypizzacompany, twitter www.twitter.com/ponypizzaco, and purchase at www.ponypizzacompany.com



 
 



I really enjoyed trying something different with this feature, and Connie was great to work with. She started showing her daughters horse, Nate, when her daughter left for college almost 10 years ago and hasn't stopped since. She recently purchased a bright, 5 year old Hanovarian mare," Fanci That," on which she is currently showing hunters in the baby green division! This pony loving mom has got it going on! Juggling motherhood, riding and a small business is crazy, but Connie does it well, something you will totally see and appreciate while sharing one of her yummy pony pizzas with your favorite pony!









Monday, July 7, 2014

Girlfriends + trail ride = successful small business?! Yes!



In 2010, two girlfriends went on a trail ride and, by the time they returned, they knew they would start a new company together that specialized in fashion forward, couture, show shirts for every equestrian...and maybe some amazing accessories to compliment their shirts!

Katie Matteson and Sharon Lilien-Zwibel are two horsey loving ladies on a mission, and together they have created a stand-out company in horse show attire: Kathryn Lily Equestrian.

After four years of building their business, they have 10 incredible spokes models, ranging from 6 years to 22 years of age, who show off their Kathryn Lily Equestrian originals in the show ring every weekend. These lucky riders help with feedback on new products and help spread the word about the KL products. Keep an eye out for many of them in the show rings near you, or follow them on the KL Facebook page!

Here's my moment to tell you a bit about why Natalie, Sparkle and I love Kathryn Lily Equestrian!

I will say, their show shirts are incredible! KL sent Natalie a long-sleeved show shirt, with gorgeous horseshoe material lining the cuffs as well as the collar. I'm honestly jealous of my 4 year old and her amazing Kathryn Lily Equestrian show shirt, with its premium technical material. This shirt is officially on my "mommy needs that" list. Personally, I think it should on everyone's must-have list!

Kathryn Lily Equestrian prides themselves in the quality of their products.  Their show shirts are light and airy, and can easily be worn in the show ring on a hot summer day. What I love most about this gorgeous shirt is, they didn't miss the details. In fact, this shirt is all about the details. It is ready to go in the show ring and assist in presenting your young equestrian with a beautiful and professional appearance during classes. Spectators will enjoy the Kathryn Lily Equestrian classy embroidered logos, that compliment the shirt instead of taking away from it.

 
After classes, don't worry about this shirt being boring, your kiddo will be hanging out with friends (and ponies) with her sleeves rolled up to reveal her choice of a beautiful, fun, bright color, or pattern. The sleeves comfortably snap into place from a hidden strap in the sleeve, and are adorned with a peekaboo embroidered logo, which  makes it obvious that these two entrepreneurs didn't miss a single opportunity to add a dash of detail! The strap which holds the sleeves matches the pattern or color of the rider’s choosing. The shirt’s cuffs tuck under the extra material nicely, creating a high end, classic, and fun look, without the high end price tag!

Now, onto the gorgeous KL belt and bows! They are the perfect accessories to tie the whole show ensemble together! The bows we received were well made and the colors of a championship ribbon, which my daughter quickly noted! The bows close with a barrette, allowing for a quick, easy on/off, no hassle, pig-tail installation.

The belt carries the Kathryn Lily logo in light blue, featured on a white background. It truly finishes the outfit for the ring, but also transitions well into daily use, as well as being very reasonably priced.


I do not typically feature show clothing, so when I decided to feature Kathryn Lily, some people asked "why them?". The answer was simple. I'd pull up a picture to show them what this company offers to our young riders (and their horse showing moms). Then my blog’s followers understood why I chose to feature KL’s products! There’s no denying that KL believes that showing should be fun, and an opportunity for a bit of self-expression! Of course, each competitor must maintain a professional appearance in the show ring, presenting ourselves differently than we would for a quick schooling ride at home, or lesson with our favorite instructor. However, Kathryn Lily Equestrian seeks to offer something better than the traditional show shirt and accessories we're used to.

The fun, bright colors and pattern KL offers lend themselves as an opportunity for our kids to showcase their personalities and favorite colors off the course, and look like 2x world champion, Jennifer Alfano, in the ring. Who could ask for more from a show shirt?! Certainly not this pony loving mom!

Bottom line, this company rocks from its two amazing owners, whose lovely, long-time friendship which started in college as a shared love of horses (and ponies) carried them into adulthood and to this wonderful company that offers outstanding products and customer service. Throughout the process of preparing to feature their company, Katie and Sharon have been so helpful and lovely to work with. It has truly been a pleasure. They offer this same personalized customer service to all their customers.

 You can find a full selection of their products at www.KathrynLily.com, follow them on Facebook by searching Kathryn Lily Equestrian,  or on Instagram @KathrynLilyEq. They also travel to many HITS circuit shows, if you see their bright pink tent, stop by to say hello and take home some KL goodies!