2011

Well, hey there, Blog. When I started out 2011 with the hopes of "trying new things", I didn't realize where these new things would take me, and just how little time I would end up devoting to this little blog whim of mine. What new things have I tried in 2011? Let's see....Well, I quit my job, started law school (did well in law school), bought an apartment, adopted a dog, made new friends, traveled to Mexico, decorated, shopped, chopped my hair off, grew my hair back out, went on a date with a ninja turtle, baked ( a lot), mourned some losses, joined the Junior League, tailgated, and read more than I ever have in my life. I spent a lot of time with the people I love this year, and I am so grateful for that. I'm excited for what 2012 has to offer, and already know my resolution...but I'm not sure it's one that needs to be shared this year. I hope this past year has been a chance for all to try new things. KB

Bookworm night!

Such a lovely night out on the town with the Louisville Junior League. Our monthly book club met tonight to discuss "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett at one of my very favorite Louisville restaurants- Seviche!

"The Help" is a wonderful novel that I feel every southern woman should read- it's warm, funny and completely charming!

Ahi Tuna- my favorite food group!

Seviche has been featured in Esquire, Southern Living, Food Arts, Bon Appetite, and Wine Spectator and was voted Best Restaurant in Louisville, numerous times. Chef Lamas has also been voted one of Louisville’s Best Chefs, and has won the Woodford Reserve Culinary Bourbon Recipe Challenge as well as the Louisville Iron Chef challenge. Most recently, Seviche was named one of the “ten great places for Latino flavor and flair” in the country and Chef Lamas was voted the 2010 James Beard Chef of the Southeast!

Stay Glossy,
Kentucky Blonde

I'm no Emily Post...

But, I’ve been thinking a lot about southern manners lately. A lot of people will try and tell you that chivalry is dead. Well, not in the south, my friend, and certainly not in Kentucky. These are the ones I’ve kept close to heart:

·         Don’t treat others the way you expect to be treated:  Treat them better than that.

·         When in doubt, write a thank you note.

·         “That’s a very interesting opinion.”

·         Every restaurant table should be its own island of conversation.

·         You cannot have two quality conversations at once; put away the cell phone.

·         That said, return phone calls (and invitations!) in a timely manner.

·         Medication should be taken in private; if necessary, excuse yourself to the restroom.

·         Welcome new-comers promptly– at the office, to the neighborhood, etc.

·         Always ask, never tell- “Will you please hand me the salt?” NOT “Please hand me the salt.”

·         When going to a dinner at someone’s home, be sure to bring something- even if it’s just cute cocktail napkins.

·         Be humble- when accepting praise or speaking of an accomplishment. Be sure to ask others about themselves, rather than talking about yourself.

·         Pull over to the side of the road when a funeral procession passes.

·         Nothing says, “I appreciate you” like a homemade baked good.

·         Ladies order first, exit the elevator first, go through the doorway first, and walk on the “inside” of the sidewalk.

·         The “half-rise” when a lady leaves or returns to the dinner table, never goes out of style.

·         When someone is ill, has a new baby, or moves homes, an offer to prepare and bring over a meal is always appropriate.

·         Following that, the food should be sent in disposable containers, so not to provide any dishes that need cleaning or returning.

Stay Glossy,

Kentucky Blonde

Thoroughbred Thursday: Table 310

As is pretty obvious by now, my Kentucky pride runs quite deep. So it’s not surprising that when Kentucky steals the spotlight (even in Lexington), I would want to spread the word. That is why today’s Thoroughbred Thursday is about a new up-and-coming restaurant called “Table 310”.

Table 310 opened this past fall, and is owned by a local gourmet wine and food shop called “Wine & Market”. This September Food & Wine magazine ranked  Wine & Market one of the “Top-5 U.S. Natural Wine Shops”. (Not too shabby for a wine shop in the heart of Bourbon country, huh?) I was lucky enough to stop in at Table 310 for drinks and dessert a couple of weeks ago.

I had stumbled across the twitter name of Table 310’s pastry chef when doing some “background research” (aka reading Urban Spoon). I decided to go out on a limb, and “tweet” at her for wine and dessert recommendations. She pointed us towards Nutella-infused Banana Cream pudding, Pineapple Upside-down cake with Lemongrass drizzle and THE most amazing reisling I’ve ever had (all pictured above).

Food & Wine magazine sure does know what they’re talking about (who knew?)!

Ahmic and her boyfriend, B.

Ahmic's friend, A, and I

 Beyond the food and wine, Table 310 has a great atmosphere- what I would describe as “French country” meets “industrial chic”, complete with a community table and chalkboard menus. Very trendy, and certainly a new hot spot; if you can, make a reservation ASAP!

Stay Glossy,

Kentucky Blonde

All dressed up in Love!

I hope everyone had an amazing Valentine's weekend! I know I sure did. It has certainly been a love-filled past few days for me, and I found myself marveling at just how lucky I am to be blessed with such amazing friends and family.

I started my weekend off by taking a brief trip down to Nashville to surprise Fry for her birthday. It couldn't have gone off more perfectly, and I am so fortuante to have such a wonderful girl as my oldest friend in the world. Happy 23rd, Fry!

Before I headed home to Louisville, I stopped by THE original Gigi's cupcakes store:

They had some delicious concoctions crafted up for Valentine's Day, so I decided on a Strawberry Champagne and Hunka Chunka Banana (chocolate covered banana) to bring to my dinner date that night:

And what better dinner dates could I ask for, other than Palomino and Julep? Any "Tri Family" dinner has two requirements: 1. Pretty baked goods and  2. Classic Kentucky fare.  We chose to spend our "romantic" evening at Old Stone Inn, in Shelbyville:



Does it get better OR more southern than Shrimp n' Grits?

  It was SO delicious, and we had the sweetest waitress in the world- she loaded us up with Dove candy hearts throughout the entire meal (but we still had room for Gigi's!). The best part of the meal, however, was the company. It's always a treat to have Pal in town, and such a gift to have friends who can center you like my Tri Family.

I had a lovely Sunday prepping for a Valentine's party on Monday night. You can never have too much pink, or too much sugar on Valentine's Day, right?

Valentine's cake balls and strawberry cupcakes!

 The party Monday was such a blast- a wine tasting, delicious food, silly gift exchanges and tons of girl talk!

Truly the best Valentine's on record!

Stay Glossy,
Kentucky Blonde

Thoroughbred Thursday: Moss Hill

This festive bath bar was just too-fitting not to be featured as this week's Kentucky charmer!

Moss Hill "I'm Yours" bath bar

Moss hill is a locally owned and operated bath and beauty company operating in a new shopping district called "Butchertown Market". Butchertown Market is an artisan market which plays home to a number of Kentucky-focussed boutqiues and restaurants.

I love shopping locally and supporting our artisan community. "All of Moss Hill's products are still made in small batches from their very own recipes and every item recieves individual attention throughout each step of the creation process."- MossHill.net (You're certainly not going to find that at national bath and body shops!)

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day weekend!

Stay Glossy,
Kentucky Blonde

XOXO

Everyone knows the most exciting part about February is Valentine's Day...so, because February is just going to be a boring, dreary, and cold 14 days after next Monday- I figure I should milk Valentine's day for all it's worth...hence...this week we're having a Valentine's Day theme!

I'll admit I'm also just all-around excited about V-day and it's all I can manage to blog about. It's a *pink* holiday, this is only natural.

Valentine's Cake Balls for a secret event this weekend! (Details to come!)

Stay Glossy (xoxo),
Kentucky Blonde

Pretty in Pink

Can you tell what's on my mind today?

I swiped the VERY last box of Red Velvet cake from Kroger- making Valentine's cake balls!

Stay Glossy,

Kentucky Blonde

Thoroughbred Thursday: The Kentucky Colonel

As a birthday gift last year, Palomino nominated me as a Kentucky Colonel. Pal, Aqua and Julep are all Kentucky Colonels as well. Obviously, I have a lot of friends who love Kentucky as much as I do!

My certificate

"Established in 1813, many people think of the Kentucky Colonels as a group of people that enjoys the good life, has an enviable social calendar and, during Kentucky Derby week, consumes mint juleps as if they were iced tea.  Well, that’s us!  But, being a Kentucky Colonel is much more than having an impressive certificate to hang on the wall. The Governor's order creating the commission states that the commission carries with it a responsibility to be 'Kentucky's ambassador of good will and fellowship around the world'.

Kentucky has the richest of heritage and history. Each Kentucky Colonel has made a contribution to that vault of legacy through the deeds that earned his or her commission. Upon receiving the commission, the new Colonel is invited to become part of the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels. The challenge is to become even more active in working to better the lives of all. Colonels accept this challenge without hesitation." - kycolonels.org

Stay Glossy,

Kentucky Blonde

Kentucky at Kroger

Look what caught my eye when I popped into Kroger last night:

WHAT a cute idea! It's full of beautiful places and foods that are uniquely Kentucky- A+ in my book!

Stay Glossy,

Kentucky Blonde

A Weekend in the "Country"

This weekend I found my way down to Nashville, TN to visit Fry. Fry is my oldest friend - since our very first day at Assumption High School! One of the best things about Nashville, is it's only 3 short hours away from Louisville, so it makes a great weekend get-away. Fry and I spent many weekends romping around Nashville our senior year of high school, under the pretense of "college visits".  I have to say though, this weekend topped all of those!

We started off Saturday morning at the greasiest little spoon restaurant called "Vittles". Vittles is a classic southern diner- with all the necessities: amazing coffee, celebrity autographs on the walls, and hash brown casserole!

Next we headed to an amazing spa called Athena. After massages we enjoyed the steam rooms, sauna and spas. If you've ever been to the bathes in Baden Baden you would love Athena. All I can say is the Greeks sure have a knack for relaxation.

Next we headed to a local frozen yogurt chain called "Sweet CeCe's". All I have to say is: Red Velvet Cake flavor. Yummy!

It was SO cute inside- pink and green everywhere!

Then we headed out to dinner to celebrate a friend of Fry's 26th birthday. We had dinner at new-age Mexican restaurant called Cantina Laredo. They had delicious skinny berry margaritas, and I was lucky enough to have my Grandbig join us as well!

The best part about Cantina Laredo was that it's located in the Icon building- where Taylor Swift calls home!

Fry is working her dream job as a publicist in Nashville, where her firm just-so-happens to represent a little bar called Tootsies- THE Nashville bar where all the country crooners go to "get famous". Her boss was generous enough to reserve us the VIP table for the night!

It was a wonderful visit with my sweet friend, and I even found the perfect dress for an upcoming event. Quite the successful weekend! How was your weekend?

Stay Glossy,
Kentucky Blonde

Palomino's Product Post

As a girl who works out more than she washes her hair ( Yes, I know that’s gross), it comes as no surprise that I would be willing to try a dry shampoo.  For those of you who don’t know, a dry shampoo is a spray for hair that is clear and reduces the appearance of oil in your hair. If you are thinking “This is too good to be true!” --you are absolutely correct. This product will not take the place of a wash, but it will definitely leave your tresses less oily.

My latest find was Oscar Blandi’s version.  I found that it instantly reduced the appearance of oil in my fine locks. However,  the minute I tried to play with my hair, it started to lose its “cleaner” appearance.  While I was satisfied by the isntant improvement, I wasn’t completely sold on it.  It did not leave my hair feeling clean and felt like it had the same weight as hair spray.

The good news? You can try it for only $11 at Sephora.com. It’s also better than using the grandma’s babypowder trick which is- ahem-not so glossy.

However, don’t rule this product out.  It is great for states of emergency like having zero time to shower after a long workout. Great for girls on the go!

Stay Glossy (not greasy),

Pal

The State of our Union (is strong)

I still remember when my 10th grade History teacher, Mr. Schumaker said to us, "Ladies, when the President talks, people listen. When the President is on T.V., people watch."

Through my years as a Government Major, I have remained proud to be a citizen of our wonderful country (as well as Kentucky!). Politics aside, tonight's address is a shining example of democracy at its finest. I hope you had the opportunity to watch a piece of history tonight.

"I know there isn't a person here who would change places with any other nation on earth."
 - President Obama

Stay Glossy,
Kentucky Blonde

Wait, there's no Spring Break in the real world?

So, it's been horrendously freezing in my sweet southern state this January. Therefore, I am going to take a mental break to Mexico, where Palomino is traveling in a mere 3 weeks. I sure do wish I could stow away in her baggage...but between me and my bottles of SPF 200, there wouldn't be much room left for her clothes...bummer.

In any case, while she's in the sun, I'll keep some south of the border flair close to home:

Photo courtesy of skinnygirlcocktails.com

Cuspid introduced me to Skinny Girl Margaritas this Friday evening. At 35 calories a pop they are 100% guilt-free. Something I wish those German beers would have been (cough 13 pounds cough).

Guac and Plantains at Mojito's. Just saying the name Mojito's makes me feel warmer. I like the restaurant so much...I went twice this weekend.



Photo courtesy of barnesandnoble.com

And what mental break to Mexico is complete without a good beach read? Thanks to some convincing Junior League friends, I am a soon-to-be owner of a Nook. Emily Giffin and I have catching-up to do.

Stay Glossy,

Kentucky Blonde

Speechies, Swizzlers and Strings

Saturday was BY FAR the busiest day of my year so far. I was running around from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. the next morning. That's not to say it wasn't plenty of fun, though.

Saturday morning I returned to my high school stomping grounds to judge a speech tournament. Yes, in high school I was a "speechie nerd"...which in turn made me a great public speaker, and much more out-going than I think I would have been otherwise.



Assumption High School. All girls. Catholic. Yes, I was taught by a Nun: "Sister Marge"

 Post tournament I headed off to Lexington to visit my college roommates, well two of them. The "fourth" is back in Germany, where I was until November. My roommates and myself were known by some as "The Swizzlers", as we referred to our 4-person "Suite" as "Swizz". This was my first-time visiting my roomies' home and it was such a treat to see what their "big girl" apartment looked like!

View of downtown Lexington from their balcony...they can walk most places when it's warm!

We went for dinner at a new restaurant with local fare called "Windy Corner". It was the cutest little place! I knew the moment I saw the menu what I would be getting...Clearly: I ADORE Beer Cheese. So when I saw that there was a burger that combined Beer Cheese and Bourbon...well, I was sold:

The Bourbon Burger: a Bourbon sauce and Kentucky Ale Beer Cheese...SO good!

Windy Corner was so perfectly Kentucky...I can't wait to go back for a girl's brunch sometime soon. The ambiance was absolutely adorable-- there were even jockey silks on the walls for decoration:

And to make a great meal amazing, the cook gave us a complimentary serving of beignets with dark chocolate sauce-- he told us he "accidentally" made extra...but there were 3 of us and 3 beignets, so I think he was hoping we would come back (And we sure will!):

To finish off a great day, I met up with one of my oldest friends, Ahmic, and her boyfriend, to see No Strings Attached. Ahmic didn't like it, but I thought it was absolutely hilarious. I would definitely recommend going to see it for a good two hours of laughs.

As I said, I didn't get back to Louisville until 2 a.m. this morning; but it was a wonderful day spent with the people and places I love the most!

Stay Glossy,

Kentucky Blonde

Thoroughbred Thursday: Beer Cheese: A History

"It all started in the late 1930's on the banks of the Kentucky river near Boonesborough where Johnny Allman opened his first restaurant, The Driftwood Inn. This was the restaurant where Johnny Allman first served his cousin Joe Allman's now famous "Snappy Cheese". In the past thirty-odd years many versions of beer cheese have popped up on store shelves and on the tables of regional restaurants." -allmansbeercheese.com

Kentucky Ale Beer Cheese- made with our local brew, Kentuky Ale

Fact: I survived college on beer cheese and Snyder's Buttersnap pretzels.

Stay Glossy,

Kentucky Blonde

A Case of the Mondays

So yesterday was one of those days where I was feeling a little down for no good reason at all. Solution?

New Shoes:


I've been wanting some nude patent heels forever- these are a little less conservative than I typically go for, but, I'm "trying new things"!

 Baking Cake Balls:

Finally got to use those Hello Kitty ziplocs!



Pink (white chocolate) and Brown (chocolate) with pink sprinkles


And a nice workout to The Bachelor:

starcasm.net

Isn't Emily adorable? I swear she looks JUST like Palomino.

Today was a much better day- I love have something after work to look forward to. Tonight's Junior League meeting was a great end to the day, and my cake balls were a hit!

Stay Glossy,

Kentucky Blonde

For thy gifts we offer thee, Centre dear our loyalty

This weekend I visited my alma mater for the first time since graduation. Being that I was abroad during Homecoming, I was very excited to be back home! I made the trip down with my wonderful friend Aqua (who I spent my time abroad with) and her boyfriend.

Crounse Library at Centre College

 While Aqua and her boyfriend went to watch Aqua's former swim team compete in a meet, I got to visit with my Little and Grandlittle. It was so wonderful to see both of them, and they even let me drag them to see Country Strong...which was amazing...and sad...and I have Leighton's "Summer Girls" stuck in my head!

Back in school, Aqua and I LOVED going to Old Owl Tavarn at the Beaumont Inn for dinner. They have the best pulled BBQ sandwiches and even better green beans. Plus it's the coziest, most charming little place in town.


Can you see the owl with the santa cap? So cute!

My Little, Julep, is obsessed with desserts, so I had to bring her back some bread pudding for her to enjoy after the inter-sorority dodgeball tournamnet she was playing in was over (we found the most obnoxious yet perfect zebra-striped chucks for her to play in):

Right before we graduated, Danville, our college town became "moist". All the seniors bemoaned JUST missing this big event, but I think we all secretly loved going on those 30-minute car rides with our friends after class on Fridays to stock up. In any case, Aqua and I couldn't help but visit the new Liqour Store in town (it used to be a Blockbuster):

After having a glass of wine with some sorority sisters before they went to a flapper-themed date party, we called it a night (we're OLD now! haha). However no trip to Danville is complete without a stop by our college coffee shop "The Hub"...Sugarfree Choco-Coconut Latte? Yes, Please!!

Stay Glossy,

Kentucky Blonde

Thoroughbred Thursday: Derby 2010

As usual, I have Palomino to thank for inspiring today’s post. This Thoroughbred Thursday, I will be featuring The Kentucky Derby…however, with a “Not My Town” twist.

“Not My Town” is a game where one behaves as though they are not in their hometown. It should be noted that if you are with an individual who, indeed, IS in their hometown…you may want to carefully choose your “Not My Town” moments.

While I consider myself mildly funny and creative, I cannot take credit for this pastime. I must credit this game to a man I’ll call, “The Legend”.

Not to give away too much about this iconic figure, I will say that he came into my life as a childhood friend of Palomino’s boyfriend, circa Derby 2010. It being his first trip to our lovely state, he could not help but verse us in his traveling game.

Let me explain how exactly NMT works. Basically, Not My Town means having a carefree attitude.

Example: Your Mint Julep gets knocked over and your collector Derby cup smashes

Response: “It’s okay, not my town!”

Example: The lady in the box behind you is annoyed because you aren’t taking the Derby seriously

Response: Shrug your shoulders, “Not my town!”

Example: The tourism van driving you to Derby has your face on it

Response: “Not my…shoot!”

I’ll conclude with one final example, with pictures, to really bring my point across.

Now, normally one attends the Derby looking like this (Pal and I, Derby 2010):

However, playing NMT, you may find yourself looking more like this (Legend, Derby 2010):

This man was not playing. Sadly:

Stay Glossy,

Kentucky Blonde

Guest Writer: Palomino!

First and foremost, I am so excited that my glossy friend has allowed me to have a say in her blog.  Recently, I have noticed she has been playing “nice” in her startup entries—which is fine. However, give her a few more weeks and you will see the real reason I advised her to start chronicling her life. I won’t give anything away, but I will end this rant by leaving you with three words (of which you will soon be well versed on): Not my town.

And now for the encore. I would like to share with you all a product that has changed my life--  Moroccan Oil. 

http://moroccanoil.com/

Ever since I can remember, I have always been overly insecure about my hair. This may be accredited to my mother who forced a bowl cut on me throughout the entirety of my youth, starting at the tender age of 4. My sweet mother thus handicapped me in the hair department after years and years of blow drying that perfect bowl mop. She then left me to fend for myself in middle school with a dry and damaged set of locks. Thanks, mom.

Needless to say, I have tried nearly every available serum and fried hair product known to woman and NONE have come close to Moroccan Oil.

Moroccan Oil will change the overall condition of your hair- not just after one blow dry- but for good.  Start using their line of shampoo, conditioner, and hair repair mask in addition to the oil and I can promise you a new set of healthy, well maintained locks. 

I’ll admit it is a little pricy-between $30-$40- but you will not be disappointed and the bottle lasts a long time. I usually use it both before and after I blow dry- especially on my ends. I only use a dime size with each application and it never leaves my hair greasy, especially when I avoid putting it on my roots.

Order it. You won’t be disappointed.

Stay glossy (literally),

Pal