Belly up to the bar: Arizona's best historic saloons
The state's rowdy origins can still be seen in creaky old bars.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Every morning you have two choices: continue to sleep with your dreams or wake up, drink coffee and chase them.
Let'er Buck! :)
Cowgirl Blondie's Western Boutique
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Here's to all the people that remain unharmed because I have coffee and a sense of humor
Cowgirl Blondie's Western Boutique
Media Roundup: Outlaw Legend
At 75, honky-tonk hero Billy Joe Shaver may be “Long in the Tooth,” but he’s still an ornery threat to pop-country imposters.
By Jesse Hughey
Photography: Jim McGuire
Shaver is the man whom Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and other Outlaw country artists emulated in the early days. This is a man who lost his son, his wife, and his own mother in the span of two years — and, in the case of his son and mother, he went on to play shows the very same night each died. This is a Texan who has worked as a rodeo cowboy, lost two fingers to a sawmill, had a heart attack onstage, and shot a man in the face outside a bar just south of Waco. This is the songwriter who wrote almost every song on Jennings’ breakout 1973 album, Honky Tonk Heroes.
At age 75, he is indeed a legend. And with the release of 2014’s widely acclaimed Long in the Tooth, his first album of new songs in seven years, it is clear that he is still very much a living one at that. In fact, Long in the Tooth marks his first album to make the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 157.
“I’m proud of it,” Shaver says about the album by telephone from New York City. It’s the day after he and Nelson partnered up on The Late Show With David Letterman for a memorable take on “Hard to Be an Outlaw,” the track that kicks off Long in the Tooth (and is also featured on Nelson’s 2014 Band of Brothers). “We worked so hard on that thing.”
Shaver marvels at the album’s appearance on the Billboard charts: “It’s amazing, isn’t it? ... I don’t watch them things — I never had any reason to.”
Similarly, he never had much reason to watch awards shows such as the upcoming Blake Shelton- and Luke Bryan-hosted Academy of Country Music Awards. The chances of him ever winning an ACM award are slim to none, and that suits Shaver just fine.
“I’ve never gotten any awards from them, and I’ve never tried to,” he says. “I just write and sing. Waylon told me a long time ago, ‘If I ever catch you trying to get an award by writing a song, I will shoot you right between the eyes.’ ... If it happens, fine. If not, fine. That ain’t the reason I write.”
It’s ironic that his one album to achieve success as measured by Billboard has a song like “Hard to Be an Outlaw,” which laments the state of country music and mocks the chart-topping posers. (“Some superstars nowadays get too far off the ground/Singin’ ’bout the backroads they never have been down.”) Shaver has little to say about the prevalence of pop country, as “that ‘Outlaw’ song kind of laid it out there,” but he is optimistic that his latest record’s success shows that there is still a desire for the genuine article.
In fact, decades into his career, he still describes himself as a trendsetter, noting that artists he has influenced over the years are gaining in popularity.
“I think the worm is gonna turn,” he says.
No matter which way the country winds blow, Shaver will be working all the while in his denim uniform, soldiering on come what may, as he has in times of triumph and tragedy alike. For all the hardships he has endured, he says, he has no time for self-pity. He meets people at his shows who’ve had it as bad or worse. “I never thought I was in bad shape anyways,” he says. “It seems like stuff like this happens to people, and I just happen to be one of them. It’s life. You have to play the cards that’s dealt you.”
As for what would cause him to cancel a show — other than not knowing about the show in the first place, as can happen with incompetent booking agents — he tries to think of something. Along with performing a show the very day he lost his son and the very day he lost his mother, he drove three hours to make a gig the day he was acquitted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, charges that stemmed from the 2007 shooting in Lorena, Texas.
“I don’t think I’ve ever canceled one,” he says. “I don’t think I would unless I was on my deathbed or something.”
Cowboys & Indians MagazineTuesday, April 28, 2015
As they say, well behaved women seldom make history ... and these five female outlaws became Wild West legends.
1. Belle Starr (1848–1889)
americancowboy.com
1. Belle Starr (1848–1889) Myra
Maybelle Shirley started dreaming of an outlaw’s life when Jesse
James’s gang hid out at her family’s farm when she was a child, and she
willingly joined her first husband when he enlisted in Thomas Starr’s
lawless clan. After his death, Belle married Sam Starr, the son of her
first husband’s criminal partner. Known for her dead-aim, velvet riding
habit, and the ostrich plume she wore in her Stetson, Starr went out
true to form: shot in the back while galloping away.
2. Pearl Hart (c. 1871–unknown) At 22
years old, Canadian-born Pearl Hart was left penniless by her husband’s
gambling ways. But that wouldn’t hold her back. Inspired by Western
icons like Annie Oakley, she headed to Arizona where she met Joe Boot,
who tutored her in a life of crime. The pair was caught in 1899 after
committing one of the last stagecoach robberies in the United States.
3. Laura Bullion (1876–1961) Born
to an immigrant mother and outlaw father, Bullion inherited a legacy of
hard knocks. She was working as a prostitute in San Antonio when she
met and joined the Wild Bunch gang. Known as the “The Thorny Rose,”
Bullion assisted in robberies and other armed crimes, often disguised as
a man, until she was caught with $8,500 of banknotes acquired in the
Great Northern train robbery.
4. Rose Dunn (1878–1955) Rose Dunn
entered a life of crime after her brothers taught her to ride, rope, and
shoot at a young age. When they joined George “Bittercreek” Newcomb’s
band of outlaws, she quickly became the darling of the gang. She fell in
love with Newcomb, and once saved him from a posse of U.S. Marshals. As
he sat wounded, Dunn ran through open fire to supply him with
ammunition, then held off the Marshals with shots from her rifle until
he could limp to safety.
5. Bonnie Parker (1910–1934) The star
pupil of her high school class, Bonnie Parker hardly seemed like a
bandit in the making. Yet that’s what she became almost overnight after
meeting ex-con Clyde Barrow in 1930. Together, they embarked on a
21-month crime spree that spanned five states and cost 13 civilians
their lives, before law enforcement—led by former Texas Ranger Frank
Hamer—finally ambushed the pair near Gibsland, La., on May 23, 1934
1. Belle Starr (1848–1889) Myra
Maybelle Shirley started dreaming of an outlaw’s life when Jesse
James’s gang hid out at her family’s farm when she was a child, and she
willingly joined her first husband when he enlisted in Thomas Starr’s
lawless clan. After his death, Belle married Sam Starr, the son of her
first husband’s criminal partner. Known for her dead-aim, velvet riding
habit, and the ostrich plume she wore in her Stetson, Starr went out
true to form: shot in the back while galloping away.
2. Pearl Hart (c. 1871–unknown) At 22
years old, Canadian-born Pearl Hart was left penniless by her husband’s
gambling ways. But that wouldn’t hold her back. Inspired by Western
icons like Annie Oakley, she headed to Arizona where she met Joe Boot,
who tutored her in a life of crime. The pair was caught in 1899 after
committing one of the last stagecoach robberies in the United States.
3. Laura Bullion (1876–1961) Born
to an immigrant mother and outlaw father, Bullion inherited a legacy of
hard knocks. She was working as a prostitute in San Antonio when she
met and joined the Wild Bunch gang. Known as the “The Thorny Rose,”
Bullion assisted in robberies and other armed crimes, often disguised as
a man, until she was caught with $8,500 of banknotes acquired in the
Great Northern train robbery.
4. Rose Dunn (1878–1955) Rose Dunn
entered a life of crime after her brothers taught her to ride, rope, and
shoot at a young age. When they joined George “Bittercreek” Newcomb’s
band of outlaws, she quickly became the darling of the gang. She fell in
love with Newcomb, and once saved him from a posse of U.S. Marshals. As
he sat wounded, Dunn ran through open fire to supply him with
ammunition, then held off the Marshals with shots from her rifle until
he could limp to safety.
5. Bonnie Parker (1910–1934) The star
pupil of her high school class, Bonnie Parker hardly seemed like a
bandit in the making. Yet that’s what she became almost overnight after
meeting ex-con Clyde Barrow in 1930. Together, they embarked on a
21-month crime spree that spanned five states and cost 13 civilians
their lives, before law enforcement—led by former Texas Ranger Frank
Hamer—finally ambushed the pair near Gibsland, La., on May 23, 1934
1. Belle Starr (1848–1889)
1.
Belle Starr (1848–1889) Myra Maybelle Shirley started dreaming of an
outlaw’s life when Jesse James’s gang hid out at her family’s farm when
she was a child, and she willingly joined her first husband when he
enlisted in Thomas Starr’s lawless clan. After his death, Belle married
Sam Starr, the son of her first husband’s criminal partner. Known for
her dead-aim, velvet riding habit, and the ostrich plume she wore in her
Stetson, Starr went out true to form: shot in the back while galloping
away. - See more at:
http://www.americancowboy.com/article/greatest-female-outlaws-28311?utm_source=AmericanCowboyFB&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=Facebook#sthash.9odKTrL5.dpuf
1. Belle Starr (1848–1889) Myra
Maybelle Shirley started dreaming of an outlaw’s life when Jesse
James’s gang hid out at her family’s farm when she was a child, and she
willingly joined her first husband when he enlisted in Thomas Starr’s
lawless clan. After his death, Belle married Sam Starr, the son of her
first husband’s criminal partner. Known for her dead-aim, velvet riding
habit, and the ostrich plume she wore in her Stetson, Starr went out
true to form: shot in the back while galloping away.
- See more at:
http://www.americancowboy.com/article/greatest-female-outlaws-28311?utm_source=AmericanCowboyFB&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=Facebook#sthash.9odKTrL5.dpuf
1. Belle Starr (1848–1889) Myra
Maybelle Shirley started dreaming of an outlaw’s life when Jesse
James’s gang hid out at her family’s farm when she was a child, and she
willingly joined her first husband when he enlisted in Thomas Starr’s
lawless clan. After his death, Belle married Sam Starr, the son of her
first husband’s criminal partner. Known for her dead-aim, velvet riding
habit, and the ostrich plume she wore in her Stetson, Starr went out
true to form: shot in the back while galloping away.
- See more at:
http://www.americancowboy.com/article/greatest-female-outlaws-28311?utm_source=AmericanCowboyFB&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=Facebook#sthash.9odKTrL5.dpuf
1. Belle Starr (1848–1889) Myra
Maybelle Shirley started dreaming of an outlaw’s life when Jesse
James’s gang hid out at her family’s farm when she was a child, and she
willingly joined her first husband when he enlisted in Thomas Starr’s
lawless clan. After his death, Belle married Sam Starr, the son of her
first husband’s criminal partner. Known for her dead-aim, velvet riding
habit, and the ostrich plume she wore in her Stetson, Starr went out
true to form: shot in the back while galloping away.
2. Pearl Hart (c. 1871–unknown) At 22
years old, Canadian-born Pearl Hart was left penniless by her husband’s
gambling ways. But that wouldn’t hold her back. Inspired by Western
icons like Annie Oakley, she headed to Arizona where she met Joe Boot,
who tutored her in a life of crime. The pair was caught in 1899 after
committing one of the last stagecoach robberies in the United States.
3. Laura Bullion (1876–1961) Born
to an immigrant mother and outlaw father, Bullion inherited a legacy of
hard knocks. She was working as a prostitute in San Antonio when she
met and joined the Wild Bunch gang. Known as the “The Thorny Rose,”
Bullion assisted in robberies and other armed crimes, often disguised as
a man, until she was caught with $8,500 of banknotes acquired in the
Great Northern train robbery.
4. Rose Dunn (1878–1955) Rose Dunn
entered a life of crime after her brothers taught her to ride, rope, and
shoot at a young age. When they joined George “Bittercreek” Newcomb’s
band of outlaws, she quickly became the darling of the gang. She fell in
love with Newcomb, and once saved him from a posse of U.S. Marshals. As
he sat wounded, Dunn ran through open fire to supply him with
ammunition, then held off the Marshals with shots from her rifle until
he could limp to safety.
5. Bonnie Parker (1910–1934) The star
pupil of her high school class, Bonnie Parker hardly seemed like a
bandit in the making. Yet that’s what she became almost overnight after
meeting ex-con Clyde Barrow in 1930. Together, they embarked on a
21-month crime spree that spanned five states and cost 13 civilians
their lives, before law enforcement—led by former Texas Ranger Frank
Hamer—finally ambushed the pair near Gibsland, La., on May 23, 1934
Friday, April 24, 2015
Today lets kick ass and make dreams happen...
but first Coffee
Stop in at Cowgirl Blondie's - Click Here!
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Monday, April 20, 2015
Carrot Cake Cookies
I must warn you, these cookies have magic powers.
They do crazy things to people…they quickly become addicted to their carrot cakey goodness, and excitedly declare these the best cookies in the world, that they’ve ever — ever! — tasted. They do the happy dance. They selfishly hide them from family members, stashing them in secret places.
Not that I would ever do anything like that.
You may be wondering, what’s the big deal? It’s just a cookie, for goodness’ sake!
No. There’s “just” anything about it. Hipper than a cupcake and cooler than a whoopie pie or the confection-of-the-moment, le macaron, these little cuties are more cake than cookie-like, they are soft rather than crisp, and this happens to be a very good thing. You don’t want that cloud of cream cheese filling to squish out on the first bite, so you need the cookie to be soft in order to keep everything together, and as long as you can, because these will go fast. I’m talking TGV fast.
You bake up the cookies, let them cool completely, then pair up cookies that are roughly the same size, ones that you feel will be the best match for each other. Then, spread the icing on thick. Like love, you shouldn’t hold back when it comes to cream cheese icing.
These are not necessarily a holiday cookie, in the way that say, a gingerbread man or an iced Santa might be, but I thought this would be a fun something to throw into the mix. Plus there’s lots of carrots in these, so technically, these count as a vegetable, too, which we all can use a lot more of this time of year.
Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies
Makes about 3 dozen
Adapted from a recipe in Bon Appetit
- ½ cup of currants (I like these better than raisins because they’re smaller)
- ¼ cup of oatmeal (quick)
- 1 ½ cups of flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons of baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon of sea salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoons of cinnamon
- ½ cup/1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup of brown sugar
- ½ cup of sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup of finely grated peeled carrots (use small holes on box grater or shred and chop finely)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 6 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons of heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a couple of cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Toss the raisins (or currants) and oats in small bowl, add 1/4 cup of water, and give it a stir. Let the raisin-oat mixture soak for about 10 minutes, or until the water is completely absorbed.
3. Meanwhile, whisk your flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together in another bowl.
4. Cream the butter and both sugars in your big mixer until fluffy. Add the egg, and mix well. Now, add your grated carrots. Finally, add the flour mixture and mix only until combined. Fold in the raisins and oats.
5. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls (for bite-size cookies) onto the cookie sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake for 20 minutes (or 10 minutes on the convection setting), just until cookies begin to brown around the edges. Let them cool completely.
6. Make the cream cheese icing. Beat all of the ingredients together until smooth, then spoon a heaping teaspoonful of icing between two cookies to make the cookie sandwiches.
Cowgirl Tip: Of course you can use the small holes on your box grater, but I’m lazy when it comes to grating carrots. First, I use the grating disc on my food processor, then I dump the carrots into a bowl, put slide the regular chopping blade back onto my food processor, and pulse until the carrots are fine. The whole process takes less than five minutes.
http://cowgirlchef.com/2011/12/03/carrot-cake-cookies/
Friday, April 17, 2015
Monday, April 13, 2015
Cat pushes dog into swimming pool
Ever had one of those days that you just want to lay by the pool and relax...then this happens? haha!!
Friday, April 10, 2015
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Cowgirl Blondie's Daily Coffee Post
Whatever you believe about yourself on the inside is what you will manifest on the outside.
A brew will see you through - Coffee Cheers!
www.cowgirlblondie.com
Whatever you believe about yourself on the inside is what you will manifest on the outside.
A brew will see you through - Coffee Cheers!
www.cowgirlblondie.com
They're back! ((Save 10% Off at Checkout))
Our popular COSTILLA style with an ultra cool worn brown leather, complementary rose-colored inlays, and silver embroidery is now available again. http://www.dumbblondeboutique.com/cobolbr.html
Quantities are limited on this special run, so act fast if you want them before they are gone again!
Our popular COSTILLA style with an ultra cool worn brown leather, complementary rose-colored inlays, and silver embroidery is now available again. http://www.dumbblondeboutique.com/cobolbr.html
Quantities are limited on this special run, so act fast if you want them before they are gone again!
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