HerKentucky Mother's Day Wish List

If, like me, you're still shopping for a Mother's Day present (I promise it'll get done today!!), then you likely fall into one of two camps. You're either a terrible procrastinator,or you're waiting for just the perfect gift to emerge. I'm probably a little guilty of both -- I've saved up the shopping duties for a day when I'll already be running a bunch of errands and I just couldn't bear to mail it in with yet another box of Godiva truffles. 

I assume that I'm not the only one who's still shopping, so I contacted a few of my very favorite Kentucky shops and boutiques for last-minute Mother's Day present suggestions to share with HerKentucky readers. They came up with some unique and amazing products that I think your mom will love. There are a few that you'll probably want to pick up for yourself as well!

Herend from L.V. Harkness

Downtown Lexington's L.V. Harkness has such a delightful array of classic gifts. Everything in their store is fabulous, and the Herend Porcelain is no exception. The Herend Baby Shoe in Pink or Blue, or the Herend Just Hatched Figurine in Raspberry are great ideas for a mom-to-be or a new mom! 

Mother's Day pics from For Friends!

For Friends! has been one of my favorite little shops since I was a teenager buying Vera Bradley luggage in their old Lexington Mall location. Let's not focus on how old that makes me, though. Instead, take a look at their whimsical Mother's Day wishlist -- from picture frames to stemware to precious stone bunnies, they have a gift for every mom's taste!

Vera Bradley from Daffodils

Daffodils is my favorite little hometown store. They're such a fun pop of color on Prestonsburg's Court Street! Daffodils suggests that you treat Mom to a Vera Bradley bag and get rewarded with a gift with purchase cosmetic bag trio!

Lilly Pulitzer scarf from The Peppermint Palm

The Peppermint Palm  -- with locations in Lexington and Louisville -- is another "must-shop" for me! The Peppermint Palm suggests a Lilly Pulitzer Murfee scarf for your Mom, and I have to agree. These are just the most fun pop of color you'll ever wear, and the silk/cashmere blend is the softest, lightest material. Mom will wear it again and again, and you'll ask to borrow it more than once!

Pearl Triple Cluster earrings from W &  M Custom Jewelry

Y'all know that all the HerKentucky writers just adore the gorgeous designs of W & M Custom Jewelry. The ladies at W & M think that Mom will just adore these Pearl Triple Cluster earrings, and I tend to agree -- they're delicate and fun, and a great twist on traditional pearls!

Leather Jacket from Blink

Louisville's Blink Boutique features gorgeous, trendy pieces. The Blink staff recommends the Venette Leather Jacket by Joie and Hidden Hills Straight Leg Jean by Paige for mom-style that's anything but frumpy!

Thanks so much to L.V. Harkness, For Friends!, Daffodils, The Peppermint Palm, W & M Custom Jewelry, and Blink Boutique for helping out with this post! 

What's on your Mother's Day Wish List?

{No member of the HerKentucky writing staff was compensated in any way for this post.}

Happy {Mother's} Day from HerKentucky

I don't usually give Mother's Day too much thought. We get a little gift for my mom, and one for my granny. There's a special meal or two. Usually a trip to the Red Lobster. And, usually, one of those church services where they hand out gifts to the oldest, youngest, and most prolific mamas. And that's that. By Sunday night, the whole exercise is over for another year.

This year, I've thought a lot about Mother's Day. Maybe it's more than my own WASPy approach to the holiday, which generally entails finishing up family obligations as quickly as possible so I can get home to a glass of wine and an episode of Mad Men. Like virtually every other American woman who has Internet access, I recently ran across this article about the emotional impact of Mother's Day on non-moms. Normally, I'd nod my head and go on. But, for the first time, I really thought about those women who'd love to be celebrating on Mother's Day, but aren't.

Recently, one of the dearest people in my life suffered pregnancy loss. It seems like so many friends and acquaintances have experienced similar heartbreaks lately. I know that so many of them would love to wear the $5 Wal-Mart orchid corsages that proudly proclaim "I'm a Mama on my way to church on the Second Sunday in May!" Something so simple and tacky is, for many, the symbol of a dream come true.

Sometimes, Mother's Day is a celebration. It's the weekend that all the kids come home to visit and bring sweet, if impractical, presents. But, for so many others, Mother's Day carries a profound sadness. There are the women who want desperately to become mothers and those who've lost children. There are women who've had to say goodbye to their own mothers, those who serve as tireless caregivers for sick or aging mothers, and those who don't have a relationship with their mothers. There are so many women out there who are carrying around burdens we can't see. I wish that HerKentucky had the budget to send a dozen roses and an hour-long massage to them all. Instead, we're extending well wishes to y'all in a way that takes some of the hard-and-fast tradition out of the holiday. We wish a Happy {Mother's} Day to you all. It's a little softer, a little less technical, and a little more inclusive. 

Whether the holiday brings sorrow or joy, we want to hear how you're doing. You deserve the spotlight for a few minutes. All of you. Those of you who are moms, who dream of becoming moms, or who've decided motherhood isn't for them. Those of you who'll be celebrating your moms and those who are missing your moms.  While we can't send you all a present, we'd love to hear your {Mother's} Day story, be it happy, bittersweet, or just plain stressful. If you have a blog, please feel free to post there and add a link to the linkup gadget below. Or, you can share what you like in the comments section below.

Most of all, know that the HerKentucky team wishes you all a Happy Day!

A Kentucky Mother's Journey: Favorite Photos and Quotes

Motherhood is by far the greatest gift I've ever received. As expected, becoming a first-time "mama" 23 months ago changed everything, but all for the better.  I have discovered that there is indeed something better than being a Kentucky girl, raising a Kentucky girl.

What I least expected about motherhood is how much my daughter would teach me. I am reminded that it is the little things that matter the most to a child, like needing a hug when she gets a boo-boo or the instinctive desire to dance when she hears music.  There are so many little things that enrich our lives that often get overlooked when we get older and get busier. And, I cannot think of a more beautiful place to discover (or rediscover, as in my case) the simple joys of life than against the backdrop of our beautiful state and rich traditions.

To illustrate my own personal journey into motherhood with my daughter, Katherine, here are some of my favorite photos and quotes:

"When you're pregnant, you can think of nothing but having your own body to yourself again, yet after having given birth you realize that the biggest part of you is now somehow external, subject to all sorts of dangers and disappearance, so you spend the rest of your life trying to figure out how to keep it close enough for comfort. That's the strange thing about being a mother: until you have a baby, you don't even realize how much you were missing one." 

–  Jodi Picoult, Vanishing Act

"No one else will ever know the strength of my love for you. After all, you're the only one who knows what my heart sounds like from the inside."

 – Unknown

"Once your baby arrives, the world is no more the same than you are. Because from our very bodies we add to the collective human destiny. Our deepest urge is always toward life, to wholeness and well being."– Claire Fontaine 

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child."
– Sophia Loren

 "Motherhood is a choice you make everyday, to put someone else's happiness and well-being ahead of your own, to teach the hard lessons, to do the right thing even when you're not sure what the right thing is...and to forgive yourself, over and over again, for doing everything wrong."
– Donna Ball, At Home on Ladybug Farm Farm

"I looked on child rearing not only as a work of love and duty but as a profession that was fully as interesting and challenging as any honorable profession in the world and one that demanded the best that I could bring to it."  

 – Rose Kennedy

"The phrase 'working mother' is redundant." 
– Jane Sellman

"Though motherhood is the most important of all the professions -- requiring more knowledge than any other department in human affairs -- there was no attention given to preparation for this office." 

– Elizabeth Cady Stanton

"I think that the best thing we can do for our children is to allow them to do things for themselves, allow them to be strong, allow them to experience life on their own terms, allow them to take the subway...let them be better people, let them believe more in themselves." 

– C. JoyBell C.

 “Becoming a mother makes you the mother of all children. From now on each wounded, abandoned, frightened child is yours. You live in the suffering mothers of every race and creed and weep with them. You long to comfort all who are desolate.” – Charlotte Gray

 “The great motherhood friendships are the ones in which two women can admit [how difficult mothering is] quietly to each other, over cups of tea at a table sticky with spilled apple juice and littered with markers without tops.” – Anna Quindlen

"Some of your best moments as a mother will happen around the toilet at six a.m. while you're holding a pile of fingernail clippings like a Santeria princess." – Tina Fey, Bossypants

Happy Mother's Day, y'all!  What are your plans for Sunday?

My Mom's Best Lesson

Mothering is one of those things I never know if I'm doing right. I often find myself saying, "I'll do it better next time." 

Next year, I'll send out the birthday invitations earlier. 

Next month, I will make amazing colorful, healthy lunches for Lauren every day. 

Next week, I'll make a homemade dinner every night. 

Tomorrow, I won't lose my patience with Ella over something silly.

I find myself worrying about the most random little details. I want my girls to have this beautiful childhood filled with incredible memories, and I put a silly amount of pressure on myself to be some kind of Nick at Nite mom.

The reality is, I get so caught up in planning the decor and cake and presents for birthdays that I often forget to send out invitations at all. I have yet to make a single school lunch for Lauren. (My husband does it. Actually my goal should be to be a better mother than my husband is.) We're lucky if we have 2-3 homemade dinners a week. As for losing my patience, well, Ella's three years old. 

My mom will sometimes talk about the regrets she has about things she did when my brother and I were younger. She can name all kinds of things that she wishes she could undo or do over, and she'll describe them in great detail. 

And you know what? I don't remember a single one of them.

My mom is an amazing mother. She's fiercely protective of her children, but she lets us fight our own battles. She challenges me to do my best, but never cripples me with her high expectations. She calls me out when I'm being a jerk, but she's always my number one fan. She knows when I need her to hold me and when I need her to let me go.

Most of all, she lets me be who I am, even when I know it isn't always easy. I've never felt like I had to do any certain thing to make my mother proud of me. She's simply thrilled that I wake up and breathe every day. That means more to me than anything--to know that no matter what anyone else may think of me, my mom thinks I'm basically the best thing ever. It sounds silly, especially because I am well aware of my flaws, but knowing I've always got her in my corner is one of my greatest comforts.

Maybe that's what I should strive for with Lauren and Ella. Instead of worrying so much about these picture-perfect details of a storybook childhood, my energy is better spent on making sure they're becoming the people they're supposed to be. I have no idea what they'll become--right now Lauren wants to be a rock star and Ella wants to drive an ice cream truck--but I can help lay the groundwork to help them get there.  

I have two very funny, smart, strong-willed girls. As long as I teach them to be confident, to appreciate what they have, to constantly look for things to be happy about, and to, quite simply, love others...what else matters? They're not going to remember all these dumb things I consider failures, but they'll remember how absolutely crazy I am about them. They'll know I've got their backs no matter what, and that the sound of their voices is all I need to be happy.

My mom taught me that, but she'd never take credit for it.

Mothering in Kentucky

I returned to Kentucky to become a mother. I've written before about how important it was to me that my children be Kentuckians. However, I've come to believe that it was essential not only that they begin their journeys as people in the Bluegrass State but also that I begin my journey as a mother.

First and foremost, I wanted to be home - among my people, among the mothers who mothered me. I knew in my weakest moments as a mother having my mother and my mother's mother and my father's mother mere moments away would make me stronger.

However, it was more than that. Kentucky called to me not only as the place of my birth but as a culture and a way of life that made me the person I am today. I remember long discussions with my husband before we decided to move back to my small hometown. He was concerned about the lack of diversity and opportunity. There would be no museums (beyond the quilt variety of course). No foreign language immersion programs. No art appreciation field trips.

My response was always you have your entire adult life to experience diversity and art and all the big city has to offer.

You only have one childhood.

Kentucky gave me a very specific type of childhood - a childhood built around community and culture. I always had the profound sense that I was being looked out for and supported. I knew the people in my community were rooting for me.

Do children who grow up in different locales experience that?

Of course and I like to think my children would have turned out well no matter where we lived. However, I'm not sure I would have been as good as a mother. I am a striver, a doer, an achiever. The siren song of the big city and all the ambition it symbolizes wouldn't have served me well in my role as a mother.

I need the slow living of my Kentucky home. I need to see the faces and places of my childhood to remind me regularly of what really matters. I need a place where the first thing people ask you is "Do you have any kids?" not "Who do you work for?" in order to be the best mother I can be.

I needed to be in Kentucky.

~ Sarah Stewart Holland

HerKentucky Derby Days: Rebecca Ray Designs Bracelet Giveaway!

 Happy Oaks Day, y'all!

With Derby almost here, we have one more Derby Days giveaway for you.  Megan B recently profiled  the lovely equestrian designs of Rebecca Ray Designs. I just love these products, too. They've got a horsey vibe, but are a little edgy and at times kitschy. I mean, how cute is this bag?

The Leona

 And this flask? So perfect for pre-gaming!

Leather Flask with Rosette

This stuff is seriously adorable, and available at select Kentucky stores, including L.V. Harkness, Dolfingers, and the gift shops at the Brown Hotel, the American Saddlebred Museum, and Keeneland. If you're not in Lexington or Louisville, you can shop at Ashland's Holly B's or Midway's The Fashion Filly.

Rebecca Ray Designs has kindly offered to give one lucky HerKentucky winner this gorgeous bracelet.

It's a croc print leather cuff bracelet with a  silver horse bit embellishment in a stunning shade of cobalt blue. It will be so perfect for UK games or a day at the track. It's a fresh, fun interpretation of classic equestrian style, and I think y'all will just love it!

Contest runs through Derby Weekend, so you have until midnight on Sunday to enter.

Good luck, and Happy Derby Days!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{No member of the HerKentucky writing staff was compensated for this post.}

HerKentucky Entertaining: Oaks Style

As the Derby’s companion race for 3-year-old fillies, the Kentucky Oaks has always been about the “ladies.”  However, over the past 138 years since the first running on May 19, 1875, at the Louisville Jockey Club (former name of Churchill Downs), a few tweaks have been made here and there.  For example, the original distance of 1-1/2 miles has been adjusted several times to today’s shorter length of 1-1/8 miles. And, the first Oaks race ran two days after the Kentucky Derby. Today, however, the "Ladies First" theme is both literal and figurative.  

In recent years, new Oaks traditions have emerged. For starters, in 1991, the stargazer lily was selected as the official flower of the Kentucky Oaks for its symbol of femininity and strength. Then, in 2006, in honor of the official flower, the race got its own signature drink, the Oaks Lily. As the Kentucky Oaks began to grow in popularity (attendance has doubled since 2001 to over 100,000 today), the day has blossomed into one of the most popular racing events in the United States.

From the fillies, lilies, drinks, and signature color pink, the Oaks is all about the ladies.  Even better, it’s a party with a purpose. Prior to the race, be sure to turn your eyes to the main track for a moving sight as 139 breast cancer survivors' walk in the Survivors’ Parade. Also, Churchill Downs will donate $1 from each Oaks Lily sold to Horses and Hope.  In 2008, First Lady Jane Beshear founded Horses and Hope with the Kentucky Cancer Program (KCP) to provide breast cancer education, screening and treatment referral for the often overlooked members of Kentucky's horse industry and their families.

Whether you’re going to Churchill or tuning in to watch the spectacular show of pink on television, today is the day to celebrate the special ladies in your life.  Although you will not find me among the masses this year, I will bring the flavor and traditions of the day into my home as I casually entertain a few friends.    

 

First, you can't go wrong with stargazer lilies. They're fragrant and stunning. I like to mix them with white hydrangeas and simple greenery for a bright pop of hot pink.

Even though we won't be at Churchill, my guests and I will still get to enjoy the signature drink of the day, the Oaks Lily.  This pretty and refreshing cocktail is super easy to make and can be enjoyed throughout the year. 

Kentucky Oaks Lily

1 oz. Grey Goose® Vodka

1 oz. Sweet and Sour Mix

3 oz. Cranberry Juice

Splash of Triple Sec

Once the ingredients are mixed, place in a glass with ice, and garnish with an orange wedge and a cherry (I added a lime wedge).

I like to serve them in the official Oaks Lily glass.  Not only do these stem-less wine glasses make the experience feel more authentic, but they make a great party favor, too. 

If you’re celebrating this year’s festivities away from Churchill, please consider sending a donation to Horses and Hope.  Tax deductible donations should be made to: 

Kentucky Cancer Program – Horses and Hope

501 E. Broadway, Suite 160

Louisville, KY 40202

Finally, let's talk about the horses. The fillies today are every bit the match of the boys tomorrow. With three undefeated horses, and a favorite (though twice defeated), Dreaming of Julia, having a "speed figure" (114) that is waaaay above the best any of the boys have ever run (105). For the not-so-serious gamblers, I like to write the names of each filly on a piece of paper for easy entertainment. Guests pay a small amount to play and the winner takes all.  

Now, if I were a betting woman...I'd have a hard time looking past the morning-line (and deserving) favorite, Dreaming of Julia, and co-second-choice, Unlimited Budget, but an equally hard time betting on them at short odds given the top-to-bottom quality of this field (how many undefeated fillies can be in a race, anyway?). Under the circumstances, I'd have to try to make my money in a trifecta by wheeling those two in first and second, with the field in third and hope that a live longshot like Pure Fun rounds out the top three. I might also back this up with an exacta box of those two, Pure Fun, Beholder and Midnight Lucky.  (And, I'm still rooting for Rosie on Seaneen Girl.) But, like I said, that would only be the case if I were a betting woman...

Who are your favorites for the 139th running of the Kentucky Oaks?

P.S. - My daughter, Katherine, will be the new girl at the party this year, and she’s already learning some of our finest traditions. How adorable is her bonnet from The Beaufort Bonnet Company?

{No member of the HerKentucky team received any compensation for this post.}