This fun "post it" comes from our friend, author Craig Johnson, and his discovery of our woven range jacket.

There are certain things we search our entire lives for–love, knowledge, respect, and power—but I have covered the globe in search of only one thing.

I was in Denver at the Merchandise Mart for the big WESA show with my wife when we turned a corner, and I spied what was for me, the holy grail of jackets. There it was, hanging on a rack, a perfect tan canvas almost like a gabardine. It had snap-buttons and hand-warmer pockets at the sides. The style was perfect; modern, but with a few vintage touches like the expansion panels alongside the snaps. It looked like it had ridden in to town tied to the back of Jimmy Stewart’s saddle in one of those Anthony Mann westerns.
           
The Cacties’ Woven Range Jacket has a leather collar and side-snaps at the hip; just enough to tell of its western breeding, but not so much that it had to apologize for it.
Jimmy Griscom, the tall southerner in charge, smiled as I studied it. “Pick it up.” I did, and it was feather light. I asked him how much it was, and he told me. “You’re kidding.” He continued to smile. “Nope.”
           
We talked for a while, and I admitted I was an author and had been looking for the perfect coat for book tours. I’d made up my mind to buy the item at the earliest when he threw it to me. “Take it.” I looked at the jacket in my hands. “Wear it on your book tour, its better publicity than I can buy.”
           
This year’s tour begins in Paris and Saint-Malo, France and ends at the Gene Autry Museum in Los Angeles, USA, and believe you me, I’ll be wearing the Cacties’ Woven Range Jacket the whole time.

Many thanks to Craig for sharing his story! Craig Johnson is the author of Viking/Penguin’s Walt Longmire series and you can reach him at www.craigallenjohnson.com.

If you are a fan of western decor, then you might want to check out Contemporary Western Design, a collection of all things western curated by Thea Marx. She’s a tried and true ranch girl reared on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming, but that hasn’t stopped her from becoming an expert on things other than cows and horses. Thea is the leading expert on Contemporary Western Design in other words, the new cool stuff, furniture fashion, jewelry, hats, boots those things. For the past 13 years she has lived and breathed western design, twice re-building the Western Design Conference from certain ruin.

Thea has written a book full of poetic instances and beautiful interiors and furniture and now she has a website with hot fashion shoots, incredible home interiors and tons of great artists.  And if you need to know someone or something about the western industry she is a wealth of knowledge.  Want to know what’s the latest thing going? You’ll want to make sure you get on her mailing list.

For some good laughs and serious moments about everyday life check out Soul Ranch.  She is not always so formal!

Ask yourself “Does my western shirt smile?”. Now your probably going to ask “What in the western wear is he talking about?”.

To clear any confusion you have I will now introduce you to The Scallop Yoke Western Shirt with smiling pockets. Yes, you heard me right…smiling pockets!

If you’re looking for something to rock out to the saloon or rodeo then this is the shirt. And when sporting this shirt you are The Man. Like all Cacties apparel, the Scallop Yoke is unlike any western wear out there.

Now you are probably asking “Yea, It’s got smiling pockets. So what else is so great about this shirt?”. Well first off…everything.

• 100% Cotton with a silky feel.
• Spread Collar with removable stays.
• Eight front pearled snaps (Indigo has horn snaps).
• Two barrel snapped cuff.
• And many more details and specifics that set this shirt apart from the competition.

If you are a proud owner of the Scallop Yoke we would love for you to send us some pictures of you wearing the shirt and we just might post them. After all, you are The Man. Careful though. We don’t want to have to crop out all the ladies clinging to you.

We hear all the time that the world hates America. There may be a little truth to that but it doesn’t change the fact that so much of the world wants to be like us and that includes dressing like us.

Since the United States overthrew Saddam Hussein and the Bathists, bringing democracy to Iraq, there has been and explosion in the adoption of western culture and style. From lifting weights in the gym to American label clothing, Iraqis want to share some of the things we have and now have the money to buy them. One rising fashion trend (rasmi: The latest must have fashion accesory in Arabic) for Iraqi males in Baghdad is wearing cowboy boots. From the young guy wearing a t-shirt to the businessman in a suit, cowboy boots are in. In fact, they are all the rage.

Most of the boots are imported from Turkey or other countries, but authentic U.S. made cowboy boots are more desirable even if they cost a pretty penny more than other imported boots.

I wonder if we can get some Iraqis to wear Cacties western wear shirts to complete their cowboy get ups? Let’s hope for that rasmi.

What do you get when you combine a western shirt, a cowboy hat, a roughstock cowboy, and a kitchen? Chocolate of course. Chocolate and beer to be precise.

If you have spent anytime in rural America, especially out west, you would know the folks that live in fly-over country are often multi-talented and resourceful. I have been in ice cream shops where you could get a cone, buy a postcard, and get a key made in one stop. When I lived in Montana my neighborhood hair salon sold custom made gun racks right next to the shampoo and hair products. These people are entrepreneurs and make best and better with what resources and skills they have.

While drinking my coffee this morning I ran into a story about a cowboy named Tim Kellog who resides in Meeteetse Wyoming, population of about 350. Tim is a working cowboy at the M.C. Land and Cattle Co. ranch. When he’s not working at the ranch he’s in the kitchen at his chocolate shop, the Meeteetse Chocolatier, located on Main Street.

Tim learned to make chocolate truffles from his grandmother. However, I doubt the Coors beer and Jack Daniel’s Truffles were her recipes. They sound like a cowboy thing. He can now create about 800 truffles a day. When he’s on the ranch Tim has employees to run the chocolate shop which opens it’s doors 7 days a week.

Kellogg tailors his flavors to his customers.

During the Harley rally, he created a Jack Daniel’s truffle. The popular Coors truffle was born out of a joke.

One day, Kellogg was baking and having a Coors — it’s his kitchen, after all. Someone joked that he should make a truffle flavored with the beer.

“I said, Why not try it?’” Kellogg said. “I opened a new beer, made the centers … and it didn’t taste bad. I sold 30 in one afternoon. People were buying it because it was so bizarre. It took off.”

Wyoming cowboy creates chocolate delights, The Dickinson Press, , February 19, 2009

So let me get this strait. Chocolate, whiskey, beer, sage, and huckleberry? 5 items that I can honestly say are some of my most favorite things in the world. I’m nowhere near Wyoming but it’s a good thing the Meeteetse Chocolatier ships their goodies all over the United States.

If you’re in the market for a pair of cowboy boots to complete your entire western wear look, you may want to check into boot consignment shops in your area before you purchase a brand new pair. One shop in Ladson, South Carolina called The Recycled Cowboy Store does just that: hooks you up with consigned cowboy boots.

The Recycled Cowboy has everything from boots to buckles, cowboy hats to cowboy history, where at the checkout counter customers can purchase reproductions of actual tokens dispensed at Old West brothels. If you have any questions about the many interesting and unique items, co-owner Linda Blevins is usually there to answer them and her personal touch, in both dealing with customers and the items she selects for her store, are what makes the Recycled Cowboy such an intimate and charming affair. After 14 years of business, The Recycled Cowboy shows no signs of heading off into the sunset. And whether you’re a cowboy or not, it is one of the most unique stores you’ll ever experience - short on price, long on charm - and always worth the visit.

If you are in the Ladson area in the future, be sure and pop in The Recycled Cowboy to pick up a perfect pair of cowboy boots for you.

The National Western Stock Show has a rich history dating back to the first official show in 1906. People came from around the world then as they do now to be entertained by a culture in decline but still alive today. This years National Western Stock Show has broken all previous attendance records with 68,610 people in one day.

Photo by Forrest Hershberger

The event started on January 10th and will run till January 25th. Events include rodeo, livestock auctions, numerous horse shows, exhibits galore, and a Mexican Rodeo Extravaganza. There is also plenty of events for the little whipper snappers like pony trails and petting farms. There is enough fun to fill over two weeks time for the whole family.

In honor of the stock show Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper declared today, January 13th, “Dress Western Day”. We here at Cacties Salute you Mr. Hickenlooper and all those attending and participating in keeping cowboy culture alive at the National Western Stock Show.

Giddyup!

If there is one accessory that a cowboy needs outside of comfortable western wear and a good cowboy hat, it’s a great saddle. For over 20 years now, Wyoming resident Steve Mecum has been making handmade saddles for cowboys all across the country. Featured on CNN.com, Mr. Mecum describes his love of saddle making and why he feels like it is so important to pass on:

Micum now dedicates December through May to crafting custom saddles, some of which demand more than 350 hours of work to finish. While a basic saddle costs roughly $4,000, a high-end job that features carved, intricate designs and extra work on the seat and fenders can cost as much as $20,000.

"I have customers who collect saddles, but there is tremendous gratification in making a saddle for someone who is going to use it every day, such as a horse trainer," says Micum, who has a two-year waiting list.

"A lot of the well-known custom cowboy-gear shops are disappearing," says Micum. "We’re trying to preserve the tradition of quality and teach it to younger people so that this type of work stays alive."

Steve also can be found teaching classes on saddle making through the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association.

There is nothing more synonymous with cowboy culture than a cowboy hat. Paired with the rest of your western wear, it is the quintessential accessory for a cowboy. But what are the origins of the cowboy hat? We all know that cowboy hats go back to almost the inception of the cowboy himself, but what does your cowboy hat say about you? Have a look at this great video that dives into the history of the cowboy hat and what your hat shaping and other decorations say about you.

It’s never too early to teach children about cowboy culture, and the kindergarten students at Lydia Rippey Elementary school in Farmington, New Mexico just got a week long lesson in all things cowboy. Instead of a Halloween celebration, the children dressed in their best western wear and had some great cowboy themed competitions as well as participated in school lessons centered around cowboy and western topics.

Volunteers from the Aztec High School Future Farmers of America, the Four Corners Rodeo Team and the 4-H Club were on hand to teach the kindergartners how to lasso, barrel race, ride bareback and sit in a saddle bronc saddle. Aztec Feed and Supply provided most of the rodeo equipment. The enthralled
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children were more than willing participants.

"It’s cool to see them get pumped up about something we do everyday," said rope-toss instructor Zach Lee, a junior at Aztec High School and a member of the Four Corners Rodeo Team.

Other children raced across the recess yard astride horses made of long cardboard tubes. The heads were made of folded and cut paper plates that the children decorated. The riders had to scream "yee-haw" before turning around and racing back when they reached a fence.

Hopefully those kids will grow up and want to continue the wester wear tradition in their own lives, Cacties style.

Photo courtesy of Lucas Ian Coshenet/The Daily Times