5 Holiday Decoration Tips to Add Kentucky Flair and Heirloom Charm to Your Home
Lexington, KY interior designer Liz Toombs shares whimsical Christmas decoration ideas.
For most of us here in the Bluegrass State, it's second nature to throw in a few Kentucky-themed items in our home décor. Whether your tastes reflect a passion for bourbon, equestrian pursuits, team pride, or family heritage, you probably have more than a few items lying around the house. Of course, it’s easy to go overboard on the Kentucky love, so I asked Liz Toombs, a Certified Interior Decorator and owner of Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors in Lexington, for some holiday decoration advice. Liz was kind enough to share five tidbits about embracing your own personal Kentucky style:
1. Choose decorations that mimic the Kentucky countryside. Whether your style is rustic or luxe, there's a way to adapt the colors of the Bluegrass State to decorate your Old Kentucky Home. “As Kentuckians, we can easily use many of the fabrics and symbols that represent our state in our holiday decorations. Classic burlap and plaid fabrics convey Kentucky country homes, while shades of purple and green reflect the shades of Kentucky bluegrass,” advises Liz, who plans clients’ holiday décor months in advance.
2. Try a flocked tree. Liz loves the trend of trees that look like they were just plucked from a snowy field, noting that pairing these trees with warm textures bring the vibe of a Kentucky winter into your home. Flocked trees are beautiful on their own, and require minimal decoration to provide a significant impact. She notes that you can find reasonably priced flocked trees at stores like At Home and Lowe’s. Add Maker’s Mark and Louisville Stoneware ornaments for a Bluegrass touch.
3. Work with collections. Have a collection of Christopher Radko or vintage ornaments? Liz suggests that you pair them with new pieces: “Vintage crystal ornaments look beautiful when paired with old-world beaded garland. I love mercury glass! I’m so glad that it’s popular again; it pairs well with newer decorations.” She also suggests tucking magnolia stems and long pine needles/sprigs into trees, mantles, and wreaths for a classic, Southern look.
4. Use those heirlooms! Most of us have statement heirloom pieces that may just be collecting dust in a china cabinet. Use the holidays as an excuse to let them shine! Liz suggests that you set your tables with your very best pieces: “It’s so Southern to place pretty heirloom pieces such as silver platters, soup tureens and punch bowls on your buffet or dining table. They look festive filled with ornaments or floral arrangements,” Liz suggests. “Depending on their size, you can arrange some heirlooms, such as flatware or china tea cups, in a tree by twisting the branches to hold them.”
5. Re-purpose well-worn heirlooms! Those pieces that have been passed down for generations often start to show signs of love – and wear! If, say, you have a collection of stockings that your great-grandmother hand-stitched that are too worn for display, but too special to be tossed, Liz suggests draping them over the side of an heirloom bowl or vase for an unexpected look or arranging them at the base of your Christmas tree for an unexpected alternative to a tree skirt.
Thanks so much to Liz Toombs for this awesome holiday advice, and check back tomorrow for her advice for holiday decorations when you're short on time. Liz's award-winning firm, Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors, offers complete design services for homes, offices and Greek housing.
{Photos courtesy Liz Toombs.}
The Most Kentucky Jack-o-Lanterns Ever
Download pumpkin-carving stencils with a Kentucky flair!
Remember when you were a kid and carving a pumpkin was, more or less, just about adding some eyes and jagged teeth? Yeah, it seems the game has stepped up a lot since then.
Here in Louisville, there's the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular at Iroquois Park, where 5,000 intricately carved pumpkins line a 1/4 mile walking trail to create a nighttime art installation. Over in Lexington, my alma mater, Transylvania, is hosting its fifth annual PumpkinMania tomorrow night.
Image via Transylvania University
Clearly, an old-school snaggle-toothed pumpkin just doesn't cut it these days. In honor of National Pumpkin Day and the upcoming Halloween holiday, I set out to carve the most Kentucky Jack-o-Lanterns ever. I went with three patterns that symbolized some of my very favorite aspects of my Kentucky life: my team, my city, and my dogs. I started with three pumpkins and a little fuel.
Then, I thought of some of the designs that would work best for my skill level and my love of the Commonwealth. I had a few ideas:
School Spirit
Here in the Bluegrass State, we love our sports teams a lot. Your college (or high school) logo makes a great pumpkin design. I downloaded this Kentucky Wildcats pumpkin template. I also found a WKU Hilltoppers, and it would be easy to create a template from this Louisville Cardinals logo or this UPike Bears logo.
Max investigates the pumpkin-carving process.
Famous Kentuckians
This takes a level of pumpkin-carving skill that I simply can't master, but famous Kentuckians would make for a kick-ass set of Jack-o-Lanterns. Here's an Abe Lincoln pattern. This guy could easily be converted to Colonel Sanders. I even found a Johnny Depp pumpkin on Pinterest and a Loretta Lynn in a country music magazine!
City Specific
Of course, here in Louisville, we have the fleur-de-lis to symbolize our city; this one belonged on my front porch for sure! With a little creativity, you could make a bourbon barrel, a racehorse, a bridge, or a local landmark!
Country Livin'
If you love the Kentucky country life, you could create a barn or a deer, or any other critter you like. If you follow HerKentucky on Instagram, you know that I'm obsessed with my dogs. I downloaded a Labrador Retriever stencil for Max and Sophie; you can find many popular breeds here.
Here's to a Happy Halloween, y'all! Hope you carve the perfect pumpkin for your Kentucky Home!
Dublin Coddle
Need a delicious and easy recipe for your St. Patrick's Day celebrations? Head over for this KY Proud recipe!
It's that St. Patrick's time of year! What better way to celebrate than by making an Irish recipe to enjoy with your Irish beer/whisky (or to soak it up at least!)? This recipe is so delicious and fantastic, I can't wait to have it again (and I won't even have the excuse of the holiday because I have no shame)!
The recipe notes for this coddle gives a great background so I will let it do the talking while I finish my bowl of coddle:
"This traditional supper dish of sausages, bacon, onions and potatoes dates back at least as far as the early eighteenth century. It seems to be more of a city dish than a rural one; it was a favorite of Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels and dean of Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin.... The name of the dish is probably descended from the older word caudle, derived from a French word meaning "to boil gently, parboil, or stew"...Serve with Guinness and Irish soda bread. Although this is an easy to prepare one pot meal and its simplicity belies its amazing taste and flavor - comfort food at its best!"
I mean, can you really go wrong with potatoes, onions, bacon and sausage! (Side note: I didn't get around to making soda bread this year, but it's already on the list for next year!)
Dublin coddle
adapted from www.food.com
makes 6 servings
1 pound bacon (local favorite Stonecross Farm), diced
1 pound sausage links (local favorite Stonecross Farm), diced
2 onions, sliced
2 pounds potatoes (local), diced
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Heat a pot up to medium.
- Add bacon and cook until browned.
- Add sausage links and onions to bacon; cook until browned.
- Add potatoes and broth.
- Boil potatoes until tender about 40 minutes.
- Season with pepper (you shouldn't need salt).
- Serve topped with parsley, bread, and Guinness (please drink responsibly!).
Sláinte! (cheers/good health)
My favorite Irish proverb
Jennifer is the chef behind a girl eats world. Head over for more seasonal, KY Proud recipes!
Five Unique Ways to Celebrate Valentine's Day in Kentucky
Celebrate St. Valentine's Day with some Kentucky Favorites!
Love is in the air, y'all! Valentine's Day is tomorrow, and there are ways to celebrate within every budget. I've seriously seen advertisements here in Louisville for everything from a $300 prix fixe menu to a reservation-only dinner at the White Castle. This year, I'm seriously thinking about getting takeout from Feast BBQ in NuLu (Have y'all been there yet? It is seriously SOOO good) or a tray of chicken strips from Chick-fil-a. I'd far rather have a conversation, a nice meal, and maybe a glass of wine with my beau than fight the crowds.
Here are some other unique, off-beat, and thoroughly Kentucky-themed ways to celebrate St. Valentine and your loved one. I hope you have a great weekend filled with love and happiness!
Sundy Best Concerts: These are both sold out, but if you're lucky enough to come across a ticket, don't miss Floyd County's favorite country-rock duo live at Lexington Opera House (tonight) or the Mountain Arts Center (tomorrow). I've said it many times here on HerKentucky, but my hometown is so proud of these boys!
Nanz and Kraft/ Four Roses Flower Hour: Louisville's perennial florist (see what I did there?) and Lawrenceburg's traditional distiller team up to celebrate Roses (see what they did there?), bourbon, and love. For a $10 minimum donation to the American Heart Association, you can enjoy small bites, bourbon, and a visit with Four Roses' Master Distiller.
Visit the Louisville Stoneware Showroom: Have you been to Stoneware lately? I stopped in earlier this week to pick up a present, and it was all I could do to keep from leaving with all of these Valentine's Day-themed pieces. They're so cute and unique, and would be a fun way to make your special someone feel loved year-round.
Chocolates from Cellar Door: I'm kind of obsessed with these anatomically correct hearts. Of course, bourbon chocolates are always a welcome gift as well. Visit Cellar Door Chocolates at Butchertown Market or the Oxmoor Mall in Louisville.
Old Christmas
The Appalachian tradition of Old Christmas; a celebration of the Feast of Epiphany.
One of the holiday traditions that's stuck with me from growing up in Eastern Kentucky is the idea that January the 6th is Old Christmas. I'd always heard that it's the day you take your Christmas tree down, the day that the Magi arrived and, that, curiously, farm animals could talk on Old Christmas. It was always referred to as a custom that the old folks had followed; an old story among Appalachians of an era past.
Image via Dave Berry Photography.
Of course, this celebration refers to Epiphany, or Twelfth Night, the day on which the Magi arrived. The celebration actually predates the observation of the Feast of the Nativity, and is known to have been observed as early as 380 A.D.. The observation of Old Christmas was brought to the Appalachian Mountains by Scotch-Irish settlers; traditions that sprung up around Old Christmas included the idea that animals could be heard to pray and the superstition that anything you lend to someone on this day will never be returned.
Adoration of the Magi, Sandro Botticelli
So many old traditions and old linguistic patterns were still evident in the Appalachia of my youth. I try to keep a little bit of that by holding on to my Christmas decorations until Old Christmas. I haven't heard any cattle lowing just yet, but maybe someday...
Dressing up for the Holidays
If you're like me, you've been adding to your wardrobe whilst holiday shopping for others. I just love seeing the joy on their faces when they see my perfectly polished holiday haute couture...um, I mean their well-thought-out presents.
All kidding aside, I LOVE dressing up for the holidays. I always strive for festive, yet not over the top and I like to find pieces that I can mix and match with what I already have in my closet. If you haven't updated your holiday wardrobe in a while, there's still a few days left before the big day. I say it's time to treat yourself, whether you've been naughty or nice!
Add a pop of red or green underneath your blazer for a festive holiday look.
You can pick up this bowtie beauty at Target.
For a more casual look, try a red tartan plaid button down with black skinny jeans.
This fun shirt can be found at Old Navy.
Prance your prancer in a metallic skirt. I just love this with a cashmere twin set!
You can pick up this fancy skirt at New York and Co.
Channel your inner Sugar Plum Fairy with this dreamy tutu. I am pairing mine with a black turtle neck!
Shabby Apple makes this fluffy confection.
If you're feeling extra festive and merry, feel free to don your favorite ugly Christmas sweater!
HerKentucky's Holiday Wish List for your Favorite Kentuckian
Great gifts for your favorite Kentuckian.
For our final HerKentucky Holiday Gift Guide, here are a few of the best ways to show Kentucky pride. These are great gifts for your favorite Kentuckian, or even to treat yourself!
Hand-Embroidered Kentucky Pillow from Uncommon Goods. Such a gorgeous way to celebrate the Commonwealth
Bourbonware Rocks Glass. A seriously sophisticated way to drink your bourbon.
Andrew Jackson shirt, Kentucky for Kentucky This shirt makes me laugh. Bob and I each have one.
Shop Local Kentucky Buffalo Plaid Shirt. These are dropping just after Christmas. I'm trying to decide if I need the Blue or Red plaid. (Or both)
Maya Brenner Designs Necklace. This necklace is an amazing gift. I wear mine all the time, and get so many compliments. Sarah Holland has the version with a diamond over her hometown of Paducah, to nobody's surprise! :)
Kentucky Necklace from The Prickly Pear. This is so fun and unique. It reminds me of the iconic "Carrie" necklace from Sex and the City, and it's inexpensive enough that you can go ahead and pick one up for yourself.
Kentucky "Home" Shirt from The Home T. The Prickly Pear has sizes from baby onesies to adults. These are great for expatriates, locals, and basically anybody who loves the Bluegrass State.
Weep No More, My Lady Letterpress Print from The Old Try. What a charming way to add Kentucky Pride to your office or den!
Pottery Rowe Bluegrass Garden Kit from A Taste of Kentucky. Everything you need to grow a little Kentucky Bluegrass wherever you'd like. I think this would be amazing for your favorite homesick Kentuckian!
Our friends at Bourbon Ware have graciously offered a rocks glass to one lucky HerKentucky reader. Enter below using the Rafflecopter widget.