The HerKentucky Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day Giveaway!

Did you ever have a really, really bad day?

Well, of course, everyone has. Today, I was particularly fed up with the way my day was going. My parking lot view at 7:30 this morning looked like this.

When you bill it as an Open MRI, that doesn't mean "Make it Visible from the Parking Lot."

Then, after hours doing no-fun-at-all doctor's office stuff, I got home and found that my wireless router was down. My brilliant pop culture think piece on Jennifer Lawrence was just going to have to wait. If I kept the door to my back porch open, I could just barely pick up a little wifi from the law firm down the street. (I love y'all who keep unsecured wifi, btw!)  Those aren't exactly optimal conditions for someone who works in online channels, to say the least.

I was having, as the old kids' book said, a horrible, no-good, very bad day. There was even a severe thunderstorm warning, complete with a hail advisory. 

Then, I sat down to fill orders for HerKentucky T-shirts and I realized that this site and y'all -- our readers and writers -- are the cure for a bad day. I also noticed that I'd never heard back from the winners of our September drawings for Shop Local Kentucky Swag.

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So, let's have a little giveaway to make the day better. My internet is back up, the storm advisory has expired, and we all love Kentucky. Besides, nothing makes a day better than giving a present to somebody you like. Enter below to win a Shop Local Kentucky T-shirt or Reclaimed Bourbon Barrel Kentucky Necklace. You have until Saturday at midnight EDT to win. Good luck, and I hope you're having a better day than I am! 

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Shop Local Kentucky Interview and Giveaway!

Happy Friday, y'all! I hope you have big plans to enjoy the weekend and celebrate Kentucky Bourbon, whether it's served in cocktail, a dessert, or a savory treat!

Today, we have a Bourbon Heritage Month present for one lucky HerKentucky reader, courtesy of Shop Local Kentucky. We sat down with Rick from Shop Local Kentucky with a few questions about their initiative, and he kindly offered a gorgeous reclaimed bourbon barrel necklace embossed with the outline of Kentucky. What a great way to celebrate the Commonwealth! Here's what Rick had to say to us:

HK: Tell us a little about the mission of Shop Local Kentucky.

SLK: Shop Local Kentucky is an initiative to 'Keep the Grass Blue' by promoting local shopping and independent business owners across the Commonwealth. While Kentucky have had several successful localized 'Buy Local' programs, business alliances and campaigns, this will be the first statewide grassroots local shopping awareness initiative. 

HK You’re starting off by selling SLK merchandise, but what’s coming next?

SLK:. Right, The Kentucky Shop is the funding mechanism behind Shop Local Kentucky. This effort has completely funded the intiative through year-end and gives us a way to plug local makers and artists in with our Kentucky following via the e-commerce store. Through the store we have paid out nearly $6,000 in sales to these local business owners since first opening one month ago. Further, we have raised over $1,100 for the Toy Chest Childrens Charity of Kentucky through a charity T-shirt sale. 

However, that is not the full extent of Shop Local Kentucky. In the fall we have an app for Android and iPhone coming that will connect locally owned, independent businesses to the Kentucky customers who seek them out via geolocation services. In other words, you open an App on your phone, it locates you wherever you may be in the state, whether Bowling Green or Pikeville, then it shows you Shop Local Kentucky businesses within a given radius. There are a few more bells and whistles like exclusive coupon deals (think groupon for locals), a searchable directory and a reviews service. If you are a business interested in becoming a Shop Local Kentucky business - Click here to sign up for more information. 

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HK:Your Instagram is a must-follow! Where do you get those gorgeous shots of Kentucky?

SLK:. Our Instagram account, which is nearly 10,000 Kentuckians strong, is a place to highlight the Commonwealth's beauty through the lens' and phones of folks from across the state. 60% of the photos are user content driven with #ShopLocalKY and the other 40% are original content. It's a fun way to look at the state from each individuals' different point of view. Once we get the app going, we plan to highlight Shop Local Kentucky businesses on the platform. You can follow us at @ShopLocalKy. 

Someone once said to me “People from Kentucky are obsessed with being from Kentucky.”What’s your favorite thing about the Bluegrass State?

SLK: The cliche answer... Fall in Kentucky. However, I think the overarching pride we as Kentuckians take in our state is unparalleled and trumps the changing leaves any day. There are so many great initiatives, blogs and people out there right now all with one goal - Make Kentucky look awesome in some fashion. You really don't see that sense of ownership elsewhere. 

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HerKentucky Birthday Celebration: Shop Local KY T-Shirt Giveaway!

HerKentucky turns three on Friday, and we're celebrating with a week's worth of presents just for you!

Today, we're teaming up with Shop Local Kentucky to bring one lucky HerKentucky reader a gorgeous "Bluegrass" T-Shirt! 

We love Shop Local Kentucky's mission -- encouraging Kentuckians to purchase right here in the Bluegrass State -- and we love their gorgeous products! 

I mean, how gorgeous is this? 

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We have one Woman's size Large "Bluegrass" fitted t-shirt for one HerKentucky reader. Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

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