5 Kentucky Boutiques for Christmas Shopping

1) AJ's Casuals - Lexington 

• 867 E. High Street Suite 120
• Lexington, KY 40502
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• AJ's Casuals is a charming boutique located in the heart of Lexington.  They offer several contemporary brands of women's clothing, as well as other accessories.
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Photo via AJ's Casuals Facebook

2) Peggy's- Lexington

• 112 Clay Avenue
• Lexington, Kentucky 40502

In 1990, inspired by the small town gift shops she visited as a child, Peggy, with the help of her mother, opened Peggy’s Gifts.  From the beginning, the goal of the shop was to combine the warm and personal atmosphere of  a small town boutique with a wide selection of handpicked quality gifts.  What began as a quarter of the building, has grown over twenty years, to encompass all 3000 square feet of the home on Clay Avenue. 

Peggy’s is packed with wonderful gifts to celebrate any occasion!  We feature a fabulous selection of jewelry, totes and purses, and chic accessories for your home and entertaining needs.  As an added free service, we wrap all your gifts in our signature dot paper! 

Photo and description via Peggy's Gifts

3) Peppermint Palm- Lexington and Louisville 

Lansdowne Shoppes
Lexington, KY 
859-268-1012

The Vogue
Louisville, KY
502-896-9190

The Peppermint Palm is Kentucky's go-to destination for Lilly Pulitzer, Stephen Bonanno sandals, CMC monogrammed gifts, and other preppy staples!

Photo via Heather Watson

4) Clodhoppers- Louisville 

• 3725 Lexington Road
• Louisville, KY 40207

Clodhoppers first opened its doors in 1993 as an unassuming storefront on an eclectic Bardstown Road strand of shops. At that time, the store windows were full of the used Levi’s and the clunky Doc Martens indicative of the minimalist, street chic era of early 90s fashion. But as the styles of their clients evolved with the years, so did the store. Co-owners Kathy Reiss-Miller and Kelly McDonald combined a strength in building business relationships with a penchant for style to swiftly move their boutique into shopping mainstream. They have since moved their business into the newly-remodeled, 4500 square foot Vogue Theatre building on Lexington Road, where they today sell several designer lines of men’s and women’s clothing and accessories. Over the years, Clodhoppers has matured into Louisville’s premier purveyor of luxury fashion and the shopping experience.

Photos via Clodhoppers

5) Blink- Louisville

• 3706 Lexington Road
• Louisville, KY 40207

Blink Boutique is known for the beautiful selection of dresses, ensembles, shoes, handbags, denim and jewelry. We want to have something to offer every woman that comes into our door which is why we offer a variety of lines including: Bell by Alicia Bell, Halston Heritage, Hudson Jeans, Jay Godfrey, Joie, Karina Grimaldi, Linea Pelle, Paige, Shoshanna, 12th Street, Tom Ford, Vince, and Velvet Located in the heart of St. Matthews on Lexington Road, the boutique has a laid back yet sophisticated style where customer service has always been the focus. If you haven't been by, we encourage you to come see what Blink is all about. As much as we love fashion, what we love even more is our clients.

Photo and Description via Blink's Facebook page

A Very MEllen Christmas to You!

Y'all know I'm just obsessed with MEllen Designs! 

Ever since I interviewed Mary Ellen for HerKentucky earlier this year, I can't get enough of her whimsical designs!

I mean, who wouldn't love to send a Christmas card featuring these adorable ladies?

And how lovely is this calendar? A year of MEllen sure sounds fun!

I am so excited that Mary Ellen has graciously offered one lucky HerKentucky reader a chance to win my very favorite design -- a customized set of KY Lady Flat Cards. Silks, a horseshoe, and a julep -- it doesn't get any cuter than that!

Just enter the Rafflecopter drawing below! The contest lasts through midnight Monday December 10th. We'll announce a winner on Tuesday the 11th. Good luck, and I hope y'all have a very MEllen Christmas!

Edited to announce: Congratulations to Allison P. for winning this drawing. Allison, look for an email today!
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Vineyard Vines Wish List

Vineyard Vines is one of those brands that I just love for fun, classic pieces with a bit of a preppy twist. I adore the company's motto of "living the good life," and their iconic whale logo never fails to make me smile. 

This year,  I was thrilled when our friends at Vineyard Vines sent over some suggestions for HerKentucky readers.  I want all of them!

The Fisherman Scarf: Oh my word, I love this! The color is amazing (they call it "Pink Tulip"!) and would match pretty much everything I own. When I took up knitting a few years ago, I had visions of whipping up fancy cable-knit scarves like this to give as presents. It hasn't quite happened yet.

I'm always looking for the perfect winter coat. I spend a lot of time outside with the dogs (that's what black labs do!), so I need something sporty and warm. This Harvest Down coat does the trick.

How much does my beau need this?

What's on your holiday wish list?

The Best Kentucky Etsy Shops

Everyone loves shopping local but local can mean lots of different things. I take local to mean the entirety of my home state of Kentucky. Artisans all over the Bluegrass State are producing the most amazingly special holiday gifts for you and yours and most of them make in abundantly easy to buy their wares on Etsy.

So, behold the best Kentucky Etsy Shops!

Gifts for your Girlfriends

Based in Louisville, Kluster Shop sells what they describe as "happy jewelry" and do they ever mean it. Custom designed with sterling silver and semi-precious stones, these necklaces and earrings would make even your cool and collected mother-in-law squeal with glee. How happy would your besty be if she opened these poppy read beads over Christmas coffee? Passing this site along to husbands or beaus also seems like a wise idea.

Gifts for the Man in your life

Out of Russellville, Sillyette Shop is doing some seriously cool things with old vinyl, including cutting the silhouette of the Queen on an old recording of The Royal Wedding or a band rocking out on a Journey Album. Show your guy (or impossible-to-buy-for younger brother) that you still think he's the coolest guy around with one of these "sillyettes" to hang on his wall. 

Gifts for your Boss

The only thing better than a hot cup of coffee is drinking that cup of coffee from a work of art. Derby City Ceramics, from Louisville, have turned the ordinary mug into just that. Your boss (or Mom or favorite manicurist) doesn't drink coffee? No problem! They also sell gorgeous bowls and cups. 

Gifts for your Mom or Dad

Whether it's for your mom that has lovingly tended her garden all year or your Dad whose model train hobby has reached new heights, back.yard.photo, based in Guthrie, has the perfect fine art print for you. The beautiful photographs would be the perfect addition to any wall. 

Even if these gifts aren't a perfect fit, make sure and click the "Shop Local" button whenever you shop on Etsy to see if a Kentucky artist or crafter has just the gift for you!

~ Sarah Stewart Holland

Christmas in Ashland

A few weeks ago, I found myself in Ashland with an hour or so to kill, so I took a walk downtown to look at the Christmas decorations. I've always adored the way that town decorates for the holidays. It's so delightfully old-fashioned and fun.

When Do You Put Up The Tree?

 When do y'all put up your Christmas tree?

This time of year, that's a divisive question. Too early, and you're stealing Thanksgiving's thunder. Too late, and you're a bit of a Scrooge. It's a quandary of Christmas cheer.

My family doesn't do Black Friday. There's no 4 a.m. trip to Wal-Mart or Kohl's for us. The day after Thanksgiving is forever reserved as The Day We Put Up The Tree. Like Nordstrom, we wait until it's appropriate, but we don't wait too long.

Now, I may have been ready to succumb to the peer pressure of Facebook this weekend. Those folks who posted photos of their trees just seemed so... happy. I already have a few presents purchased, and it's just about time to pull out the Love, Actually DVD. It basically made sense, right?

I was almost convinced until I found myself in Ashland this weekend. I love that town's Christmas decorations, and I wanted to take a few photos for HerKentucky holiday posts. The decorations were as delightful as ever, but it was 63 degrees and sunny. Santa looked a little warm in the sunlight amidst the leaves. Maybe waiting another few days makes sense...

When is your "right time" for holiday decorations?

Black Friday in KY

It's hard to believe that the time is here for Holiday Shopping!

My Mom and I used to make the 45 minute trek to Louisville every Black Friday.  We'd wake up at 5 am to get to the malls by 6 am.  

I can't say that I still get up that early on Black Friday, but I definitely still enjoy getting out and seeing everyone scramble around the malls looking for the best deal.  

Do you plan to hit up any malls in Kentucky on Black Friday?  

Louisville: 

Oxmoor Mall

Mall St. Matthews

The Summit

Lexington: 

Fayette Mall 

Stay tuned next week for a post on Small Business Saturday and locally owned businesses!

Also, if you know of any black friday deals please leave them in the comments section!