Tag Archives: Kentucky

mid-week round-up

What are you up to this week, loves? Today is Day 10 of my Whole30 adventure. 1/3 of the way through, yahoo! Starting to feel that massive surge of energy everyone talks about. Plus, by cutting added sugar, fruit has never tasted more like candy! Hope you’re all doing well, and taking sweet care of yourselves as the news cycle continues to disappoint. Here are some links…

What you do on an airplane, according to your Myers-Briggs personality type.

Is there any point to protesting?

This podcast episode is SO BEAUTIFUL! (Warning: Have tissues ready.)

Wickliffe, in western Kentucky, thought about cashing in on the eclipse by inviting viewers.

Charlottesville is the America that Donald Trump promised.

Thinking about ordering this book for the Memoir Month I’m planning.

24 people reveal the worst secret their significant other thinks they don’t know.

The wartime origins of farmers markets.

The hippies of Soviet Lviv.

What a gorgeous planner!

Snickering about the master’s tools will never…

And finally, this week I donated to Southern Poverty Law Center in memory of Heather Heyer. If you feel so inclined, I encourage you to do the same.

P.S. A couple Finding Delight posts you may have missed — 5 Great Ways to Save Money on Books and A Whimsical Round-Up.

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Derby-Inspired Accessories

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As I was born and raised in Kentucky, I couldn’t resist doing some sort of Derby round-up. While I would probably feel ridiculous with a fascinator strapped to my head (even though I’d love if that weren’t the case!), here are a few other Derby-inspired accessories that I think are just as swank and sweet!

First row: Gold horseshoe stud earrings, rose print cardigan, mint julep cup set

Second row: Galloping horse necklace, Breeder’s Cup crossbody, bow hat

Third row: Louisville racehorse shirt, oxfords, KY home earrings

Thoughts? Will you be tuning in to The Run for the Roses

mid-week round-up

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What wonderful things have you been up to, my loves? We enjoyed some extra relaxation time with the holiday weekend, and took a trip to explore Coral Gables on Sunday. I’ve also been introducing Chet to one of my (many) reality TV obsessions, the PBS historical documentary “- House” series. (Like Frontier House, Colonial House, etc.) Have you seen them? Hope you have a wonderful rest of your week, and while you’re at it, take a look at these treats the internet has to offer…

Stories of people who abandoned urban settings for something a little more pastoral.

Kentucky’s state of paradox.

In case back-to-school season inspires you to donate.

Have you used these city guides? I hear they’re awesome. #wishlisted

A stunning piece to keep all your rings safe. (Reminds me of trips to New Mexico.)

My new favorite video on the internet.

After watching him in 2 great TV shows and following him on Instagram, I didn’t think I could love Matt McGory any more…I was wrong.

Terrifyingly, drivers in China kill the pedestrians they hit…on purpose.

Feeling a little ill? Call the Doctor!

moving approach to housing.

Keep your freezer stocked with the following to stay out of the drive-thru.

Squinching.

A piece Chet wrote on writing centers.

P.S. How to build a light box and eerily awesome affordable art.

We’re engaged!

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Chet and I are so excited to share some amazing news — We are getting MARRIED! We got engaged a little over a month ago but I thought now was as good a time as any to let you all in on how it went down. Chet was a total sneak and had been hiding the ring for most of the summer in the apartment we shared in Lexington. He had nestled it amongst some computer parts in one of our closets. (“I KNEW you wouldn’t look through those.” Touche.) On his birthday, we headed up to Newport, KY for a day of celebrating…little did I know by mid-afternoon we would have even MORE to celebrate. After a lunch over-looking the river, Chet asked if I’d like to spend a little time walking around before we ventured to the aquarium (his special birthday excursion). I said “absolutely” and we walked along the river and then on to the purple pedestrian bridge that stretches across the Ohio River. He asked me to marry him as we stopped in a particularly sunny spot to look out over the railing. After I said YES (actually, I believe I said “Of course I will!!!”), and the ring was on my finger (I excitedly asked, “Can I put it on?!” LOL), we walked across the rest of the bridge into Ohio. I felt like I floated the whole way. The mixture of the adrenaline and the warm sunshine makes those minutes on the bridge, in retrospect, feel so surreal. I texted a picture of the ring to my family and spoke to my mom for a few minutes on the phone as we walked back across the bridge. After we made it back onto Kentucky soil, we headed to the Newport Aquarium for a giddy few hours where I spent equal parts looking at marine life and looking at my new ring! We then went for celebratory drinks and snacks at the Hofbrauhaus Beer Garden. I still can’t get over how perfect the proposal was. A year earlier, as we stood on that very same bridge, I fantasized about how it would be the perfect engagement location. And weirder still, YEARS earlier, in a convo with girlfriends, I confessed my feeling that being proposed to on a proposer’s birthday would be the most romantic gesture! Funny how these things work out!

I’m so excited about this chapter in our lives and wanted to share it all with you. Here are a few more pictures from our magical day, if you’d like to see…

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A new feature at the Newport Aquarium is this suspended rope bridge which runs the entire length of the shark tanks! Talk about an adrenaline rush! Add to it the fact that my brand new ring needed to be sized down a few sizes and I had myself a pretty heart-pounding experience. One I will certainly NEVER forget!

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Chet assured me that HAD I dropped the ring in the tank one of the aquarium staff would have GLADLY scuba’d in to find it. Still, happy I avoided such measures! Haha! I have to admit, I ogled this sparkly beauty the whole car ride home. Once we arrived, we posted our news on social media (that’s like a REAL step in the process these days, right?) and everyone was so wonderful and nice and kind. We’re so lucky to have such amazing folks consistently and happily in our corner.

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I can’t wait to marry my best friend! ❤ 

mid-week round-up

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Hi friends! What are your plans for this week? We’ve been acclimating ourselves to our new surroundings with trips out to find nearby stores and easy dinners cooked at home. Also, we had a nose around Florida International University (where Chet will be working) and it is GORGEOUS. Finally, we checked out our pool yesterday evening and splashed around for about an hour before dinner. Bliss! I could get used to such things. Have a great rest of your week, and enjoy a dozen links on me…

Some paranormal happenings at Kings Island theme park.

Appalachian Lit books to read if you’re into the Southern Contemporary genre.

“My hijab has nothing to do with oppression. It’s a feminist statement.”

Reason #34950 I love my home state. #BikeKY

A few real food groceries to pick up on your next TJ’s shopping trip.

I would proudly rock this rad t-shirt.

Will you see the new Poehler/Fey movie? It looks too funny to be true!

The Swiss Army Knife of lady jackets. Spoiler alert: I want one.

I should have made this my final project at Good Foods Co-op.

Inspired to start buying random rolls of film at flea markets.

If you love Instagram and cats (as I do), this parody will make you laugh out loud.

Wow! These celebs have come a long way!

It’s all about the #.

How funny is this video??? I’ve been feeling a lot of Lexington pride lately. How wonderful to live in a city that has such a vibrant, local community but doesn’t take itself too seriously. We live here. We know the unique and wonderful places to eat, shop, party, explore…because we dine, buy, drink, dance, hike and play at them. Why not tell people about these places? Why NOT promote tourism from the inside out?

#ShareTheLex, y’all!

P.S. Easter at the Ashland Estate.

A Photo Essay: Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill

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If you’re in the area, Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill is definitely worth a day trip! You can tour a bunch of historic buildings in the village–tons of interesting artifacts, history lessons galore and a fantastic staff. The Village also owns 3,000 acres of the surrounding countryside with 40 miles of trails. If you’re in the market for a more budget-friendly trip (read: free), you could walk around the village, see the animals and gardens and then hit the trails! But the admission price is well worth exploring the buildings and seeing staff presentations if you feel like splurging (just $15 from Apr-Nov and $7 from Nov-Mar). 

Summer days/Summer nights.

Hey y’all, just wanted to share a few pictures and fun stuff from the last couple of weeks. No rhyme, nor reason…just a trip to Bowling Green, K.Y. and the ol’ fourth of juLY! Ok so maybe some rhyme.

Chet and I met in Bowling Green when he was getting his masters and I was working for the WKU forensics team so fueled by the promise of nostalgia and some beloved familiar faces we decided to load up the Subaru and swing down to Warren County for a couple of days. In true BG fashion we did a LOT of casual family dining at various restaurants new and old (thumbs up to 643, thumbs down to Novo Dolce and always and forever my ❤ belongs to the Ichibanians).

Hilariously, our friends Ben and Chad clued us in to a hidden secret: The best coffee in Bowling Green can be found at Olive Garden. Wacky, right? But I’ve gotta hand it to them…we went and tried it out and both agreed our cup(s) of joe were super on point. Just ask to sit in the bar area (there are cozy lil booths and the service is snappy) order up a carafe or two and get a round of tiny desserts. So random but surprisingly a decadent experience. Only in BG…HA!

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We also hit up a bunch of consignment stores. There seems to be one of these establishments on every block in the beege but unfortunately, the consignment game in Lexington is considerably lacking. We scored a red coat wrack with shiny silver hooks and a Mark Twain voodoo doll from Consignment Corner. The former is looking fantastic hung by my back door and the latter is resting happily atop a bookshelf. At Labold and Sons, Chet and I clocked this sweet print from Print Mafia as soon as we walked in the door.

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We took these lil babes home, along with a Polaroid camera that would, later in life, inspire the design for the Instagram logo.

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Chet found a recipe for some magical solution proclaiming to work wonders on whitening and brightening old electronics. I’d like to see if we can’t get this thing looking sparkly and new!

We had such a wonderful time catching up with our BG pals (and watching COPIOUS amounts of drag queen videos) that we needed a LOT of fuel to make it back to Lex…some more fuel than others.

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Now, jumping ahead a week or so! I had to work on The Fourth of July which was sort of a huge bummer because it’s a favorite of mine. Luckily, I came home to a sparkler party! What a save!!!

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Just serving some patriotic, Lady Liberty realness (did I mention we’ve been binge watching Rupaul’s Drag Race since returning from BG…that Ben…what an influence!)

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So happy to spend my Fourth with this one. He’s pretty much the cutest…and takes all my requests for front-facing camera selfies in stride, even when they involve holding fire.

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A trip to Salato Wildlife Center!

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Last Friday, Chet and I strapped on our new trailrunners, packed up lunch and hit the road for a quick half hour drive to Frankfort, KY to visit the Salato Wildlife Center. I can not recommend this place enough. Their grounds include free fishing lakes and hiking trails. For just $4 for adults you can see a bunch of sweet animals, interactive exhibits and educational material about indigenous plants and wildlife. We arrived a little after 11am and decided to pay to check out all the animals first thing.

We spent about 2 hours wandering around amongst fish, turtles, deer, bobcats, eagles and all sorts of critters native to the state. There were animals and exhibits both indoors and out, as well as a really cool “living stream” complete with a waterfall and a view of what was going on “under the sea” from indoors. My favorite animals were the bison; Chet’s favorite were all the fish.

We had seen a sign saying the days free educational program was at the bobcat area so we swung by to check it out. We learned the zoological term “enrichment” basically means yoking up the animals to promote species-specific behaviors. The gal leading the program yoked the bobcats up in a variety of manners, my favorite of which involved giving the cats big ice cubes to play with because, funnily enough, this is Wink’s FAVORITE enrichment. We have now taken to calling it enrichment whenever we are playing with Wink.

After the bobcat program,  we hit the trails. This was a super fun 4.5 mile hike, no steep inclines (Franklin Co. is by no means mountainous) just lots of switchbacks and ruins to explore. We walked through some fire nettle, which provided an interesting 20 minutes or so of feeling like my legs were on fire, and got our fair share of chigger bites…welcome to Kentucky!

Once we got off trail we rested at a picnic table in the shade to chug water, eat a little snack and hang out with some geese and duckies. We also walked down to the fishing lake to scope out a good spot for a future trip to cast out (Salato will loan you fishing poles for free! You just have to bring your own bait. Score!). We headed home sweaty and blissed-out from an awesome day outside in the sun in plenty of time to cook dinner. Here are some snaps from our day!

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waterfall

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What adventures have you been embarking on lately? I’d love to hear.