Joy Williams Venus Album Review
I was a huge fan of the Nashville-based duo The Civil Wars. I LOVED the way Joy Willams' haunting, ethereal voice soared opposite John Paul White's soulful sound. Like a lot of Civil Wars fans, I wasn't quite sure what to expect of Joy's post-Civil Wars solo album. Of course, when One2One Network offered me the opportunity to review the album, I was thrilled to give it an early listen.
Williams' solo album, Venus, tells a beautiful, uplifting story of modern womanhood. Themes of mothering, relationships, and strength abound. The songs don't have the dreamy, old-time feel of Civil Wars tunes; rather, they're often straightforward tales of love, loss, or celebration. "Sweet Love of Mine" will resonate with mothers or anyone else who has a very special child in their life. "Woman (Oh Mama)" is beautifully celebratory, and if "Before I Sleep" hasn't already been slated for a movie soundtrack, it should be soon! Of course, for Civil Wars die-hards, it's easy to interpret a few songs as being about the band's breakup; perhaps "One Day I Will" is just that, or maybe it's about the end of another type of relationship. That's the beauty of Venus; many of these songs go beyond Joy's own experiences and touch something universal in the listener.
Last Minute Derby Party Prep with Rocksbox
Product review and free trial code for Rocksbox
This time of year, there's always ONE MORE party to attend. That's the magical thing about Louisville around Derby time. The Kentucky Derby may be a two minute horse race, but we celebrate for a week or so. And, the invitations keep rolling in. Sometimes, you're booked for two to three events in a day. It's a pretty wonderful problem to have.
Me, last night, at Moet & Chandon's Derby in a Bottle party
I like to joke that, this time of year, everybody in Louisville suffers from #DerbyFoMo: The fear of missing out on a good Derby-related party. So, we keep going, even though we have work and social obligations. After all, Derby only comes around once a year, right?
With all these fun festivities to attend, it was really nice to come home to a package from Rocksbox the other day. Rocksbox is a subscription jewelry service that sends three pieces of jewelry at a time straight to your mailbox. You can wear them and return them or, if you fall in love with a specific piece, you can purchase it at a special price. How simple is that?
Rocksbox has teamed with HerKentucky to help you prep for your last-minute party invitations and avoid #DerbyFoMo by providing you a free one-month subscription to Rocksbox. Just use code herkentuckyxoxo at checkout, and there's one less thing you have to do to prepare for big parties!
Thanks so much to Rocksbox for providing me a sample subscription for review! I hope you check out their service for yourself!
Product Review: UncommonGoods Custom State Pillow
A customized pillow adds a touch of Kentucky to any home decor!
UncommonGoods recently offered me the opportunity to review one of their Custom State Pillows. This is such a fun process; you can choose your state, your favorite color, and your favorite city (over which a heart will be sewn!)
Of course, I wanted to make the absolute perfect Kentucky pillow. I chose this gorgeous shade of turquoise -- Caribbean Surf -- with a heart over Louisville. I waited not-so-patiently for my order to arrive and was simply thrilled with the results! It's a good size for a throw pillow, an office accent, or to add a touch of home anywhere you'd like the reminder! The felt appliques are stitched in contrast threads for a homespun feel. The quality of the felt is fantastic, and this piece really catches the eye!
This piece would be fantastic for a loved one who's headed off to a dorm room or first apartment in another state, as a dramatic accent in an office bookshelf, or anyplace a little touch of home is needed. In fact, UncommonGoods has an awesome assortment of gifts for just about anyone on your list. They have a great array of personalized gifts for just about any occasion. I love the Hand-Embroidered State Pillows and the New Yorker-style personalized wedding posters! With Valentine's Day coming up, you can find fun, quirky, and unique gifts for her (the anatomical heart pendant cracks me up!) or for him. (They have repurposed UK basketball court cufflinks, y'all!)
Thanks so much to UncommonGoods for the pillow, and for introducing me to their fun line of products!
{A customized pillow was provided for review. Thanks to Uncommon Goods for the lovely product!!}
Bourbon. Leather. Old Books. {Clayton & Crume and Bourbon Ware Product Reviews}
Gorgeous locally-made leather bar products will up your home decor game.
Bourbon. Leather. Old Books.
If you're looking to add an air of sophistication to your home, this is the trifecta. Like Ron Burgandy, you can boast that your apartment has many leather-bound books and smells of rich mahogany. If you want to class the place up even more, add some fresh flowers.
If you want to make your home even more special, enjoy your bourbon and books with locally-made leather goods that celebrate our amazing Commonwealth.
I recently received a couple of gorgeous pieces of local leather goods that, if you can believe it, actually do make your bourbon taste better. Well, at least they make your bourbon look better.
Bourbon Ware is a Lexington-based company that produces gorgeous, Kentucky-themed leather bar goods. The Lexington Rocks Glass in the Kentucky State Line pattern is a stunning, elegant way to sip a cocktail. I love the blue metallic outline of the Bluegrass State and the warm, snug feel of the leather sleeve. This would be a gorgeous gift for a homesick Kentuckian or for your favorite bourbon collector.
Another way to outfit your cocktail in style is with these gorgeous Louisville leather coasters from Clayton & Crume. These are stunning, moisture resistant, and a great way to show your love for the Derby City.
Thanks to Bourbon Ware and Clayton & Crume for providing these gorgeous pieces for review!
Green BEAN Delivery Product Review and Discount Code
I love cooking. For me, time in the kitchen is about creativity and stress release and creating something special for my family and friends. It's one of my happy places.
What I don't love is going to the grocery store. There are people running into you with their cart. There's the guesswork of produce quality. And there's all the time it takes to actually go to the store. That's why I was so excited when Green BEAN Delivery emailed me to let me know about their service.
They deliver your groceries -- organic, locally sourced when possible groceries -- straight to your front door. Needless to say, I was intrigued.
I was given the option of reviewing a small produce bin. I went to Green BEAN's website, selected the produce I wanted for the upcoming week, and awaited its arrival. The process couldn't have been simpler!
We enjoyed some healthy, delicious meals with our Green BEAN produce. The bell pepper, field greens, and blueberries were fantastic, and made a gorgeous salad.
We added some grilled jerk chicken to the salad for a balanced, healthy meal.
The brussels sprouts were great -- so much fresher than those our local grocery stores have to offer right now! I roasted them (I love those caramelized ends!) and served them with a grilled pork tenderloin.
The asparagus was really fresh and delicious as well; it made a simple and delicious dinner with strip steaks!
Green BEAN Delivery hopes y'all will enjoy their service as much as I did, so they're offering a special deal for HerKentucky readers.
Use code 15HKml at checkout for $15 off your first order.
The code expires next Wednesday, July 9th and is good for new members and reactivations only.
Coming up tomorrow is Part 2 of the Green BEAN Delivery Review, in which I discover Foxhollow Farm ground beef. (And Max lets me know that taking photos for blog reviews is a ridiculous process.)
{I was provided a complimentary Green BEAN Delivery order for review purposes. No additional compensation was provided. All opinions are my own.}