Celebrating Derby Days at the Kentucky Derby Festival Chow Wagon.

This weekend, my beau and I took our littlest dog down to Louisville's Waterfront Park to visit the Chow Wagons.

All Kentucky'ed out -- Bluegrass Tee by Old Try; KY Necklace by Southern Belle Glitz; Derby Festival Pegasus Pin.

The Chow Wagons are part of Fest-a-Ville, a week-long carnival of music, food, and fun associated with the Kentucky Derby Festival. Admission is free with your Pegasus Pin.

You can purchase tickets for food and drink. 

And, of course, there are awesome carnival prizes!

We managed to pass up the beer and funnel cake tents, but these gyros were pretty awesome.

It was a perfect day to celebrate the Derby City before the madness of Race Day sets in.

Have you taken in any of the Kentucky Derby Festival events this year?

Southern Belle Glitz Kentucky State Love Necklace Giveaway!

I love the Commonwealth of Kentucky a lot.

Well, of course I do. My friends and I have been blogging and pinning and facebooking and instagramming about the Bluegrass State for nearly three years now. 

I was so excited to find a Georgetown-based company called Southern Belle Glitz that lets me take my love of the Commonwealth with me wherever I go!

The State Love Necklace is a gorgeous, delicate little outline of the state of Kentucky. (They have a few more states, if you're so inclined...) I love wearing this -- it draws so many sweet compliments, and it looks great with everything!

Receiving a package from Southern Belle Glitz is such a special treat! When my beau told me that "a large, pink package" had arrived in the mail, I knew it would be great, but I had no idea how much care Natalie takes with every order. The packaging is so fun, and even includes a quote from Harry Winston!

I just know y'all will love this necklace as much as I do, so HerKentucky has partnered with Southern Belle Glitz to give one lucky reader a Kentucky Necklace of her own!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Southern Belle Glitz is an April sponsor of the HerKentucky blog. I received a State Love Necklace for review purposes. All opinions are my own.)

Designing the Perfect Kentucky Derby Hat

The 140th Kentucky Derby is almost here, y'all.

I've already bought a commemorative Derby Glass and sipped a little something minty from it. And, like most Louisvillians, I've already given a lot of thought to my Derby Hat. So, I was thrilled when the folks from Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse asked me to participate in their Derby Hat Trunk Show and Fundraiser!

Off Broadway sent me a hat and asked me to decorate it however I liked and return it to their Shelbyville Road store to be auctioned off to benefit The Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation. Well, who could say no to the opportunity to create a beautiful hat while helping benefit the Derby City?

Of course, the first thing you need for the perfect Derby Hat is flowers. Striking, unique flowers are the key to any well-designed hat. So, I headed to Dee's, Louisville's beloved spot for Derby hat decorations.

Dee's was certainly ready for Derby, with flowers, feathers, and equestrian-themed merchandise everywhere!

It was hard to decide among all the gorgeous feathers and flowers! I wanted to use them all!

Finally, I decided on my favorite flowers -- an assortment of lilies -- and a fun aqua and white color scheme that looked so striking against the red hat. 

Please join Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse at 4600 Shelbyville Road, Suite 201 this Saturday, April 26, for their hat event. Local stylists and hat designer Carole Amper will be there to help you pick out the perfect hat for your Derby ensemble. You'll have the opportunity to bid on my hat, as well as those designed by other community members!

Thanks so much to Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse for letting me take part in this fabulous event! I hope to see y'all there!

Lexington Party and Sample Sale for sizes 10+

This Saturday in Lexington, I'm hosting a party and sample sale with fashion in sizes 10-32. Fashion above a size 10 can be so difficult to find, and this will be the first time items from designers like Kiyonna, IGIGI, Karen Kane, and more will be available on-site in Kentucky!

The clothing comes from Gwynnie Bee, which is a monthly subscription clothing service that I'm obsessed with. The sample items being sold are gently worn rental inventory but all have been thoroughly inspected and cleaned. Best of all, everything will be $20 or less!

You can find the invitation on Facebook, where I'll also be posting some sneak peeks of items that will be for sale. Please invite your friends and family. Did I mention we'll have snacks, sweets, and mimosas?!

Post by Authentically Emmie.

Will I see you on Saturday?

The 2014 HerKentucky Easter Basket Guide

I love the idea of giving thoughtful, unexpected little presents to the folks I love. These fun Easter basket picks are a great way to support local businesses with fun presents.

Southern Belle Glitz Kentucky State Love Necklace

I wear this fun, delicate chain necklace All. The. Time, and I get compliments every single time. It's a great way to show your Kentucky pride, and at only $16, it's perfect for the littlest Kentucky girl in your life. You should probably go ahead and pick one up for yourself as well. Available online from Georgetown-based Southern Belle Glitz.

Macarons from Ghyslain at Westport Village

Macarons are never a bad idea. Pick up these gorgeous spring shades at Ghyslain at Westport Village in Louisville.

Easter bonnets or bucket hats from The Beaufort Bonnet Company

How precious are these for Easter Sunday? Check out Lexington-based The Beaufort Bonnet Company for adorable hats for your Belle or Beau.

Country Rabbit Pottery from Hadley Pottery

Louisville's Hadley Pottery is known for their classic "Country" pattern. These bunnies will make a stunning Easter table.

The gift of service

Why not teach your kids that it's far better to give than to receive by getting involved with The Toy Chest, a Lexington-based charity that provides toys, books, and clothing to children who need them? Learn more here.  

{Southern Belle Glitz is a HerKentucky sponsor for April and May. All opinions are my own.}

A Beaufort Bonnet Easter

After a brief hiatus from social media a couple of months ago, I happened to look at my Instagram feed on the last day of The Beaufort Bonnet Company's Waterlogue photo contest. Although I missed the contest, I discovered a new App for my iPhone.  In case you've never heard of it, Waterlogue is a very simple to use App that transforms your photos into watercolor-like images.  (By the way, I am always looking for photo Apps, so please let me know some of your favorites.)

There is nothing more classic than a bonnet.  Every single picture of my daughter in her Beaufort Bonnet looks timeless, especially as a watercolor portrait.  Here are a few of my favorites:

I loved this last one so much that I ordered a standout from Mpix just to see how well it would print.  Turns out, not too bad.

As my daughter gets older, it saddens me to think that one day she will no longer wear a bonnet, especially at Easter.  This year, the Easter Bunny is giving her the Pippa Petal Hat with a pink seersucker bow.  I look forward to seeing her in this precious sun hat as she races around on her new walker we decorated for her upcoming egg hunt.  

Now, I just need to get a message to the Easter Bunny that an original watercolor portrait is on my wish list. Happy Easter!

(Psst)...There's still time for the Easter Bunny to find a Beaufort Bonnet at the following Kentucky stores:

Animal Crackers

3634 Brownsboro Road

Louisville, KY 40207

ph. 502-896-2339

Baby Bundles

161 Lexington Green Circle, Ste. B3

Lexington, KY 40503

ph. 859-309-0459

Blossoms

805 Frederica Street

Owensboro, KY 42301

ph. 270-689-2229

Choate's Gift Shop

1939 Kentucky Ave.

Paducah, KY 42003

ph. 270-442-1798

Hopscotch

120 Clay Avenue

Lexington, KY 40502

ph. 859-258-2923

Kid's Stuff

300 North Mayo Trail

Pikeville, KY 41501

ph. 606-432-8197

Lad n' Lassie Children's Boutique

188 West Court Street

Prestonsburg, KY 41653

ph. 606-886-3142

Lucy's Fine Gifts

1945 Scottsville Road

Bowling Green, KY 42104

ph. 270-781-2008

L.V. Harkness & Co.

531 West Short Street

Lexington, KY 40507

ph. 859-225-7474

The Plaid Rabbit

209 North 12th Street

Murray, KY 42071

ph. 270-753-7534

Nancy's Place

133 West Main Street

Springfield, KY 40069

ph. 859-336-0026

Wait's Hill Gifts

401 South Main Street

Somerset, KY 42501

ph. 606-678-0512

Bourbon Glazed Bacon

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 Yes, you read that right, delicious Bourbon. Glazed. Bacon. Should I even keep writing? I am sure all you can think is bacon, bacon, bacon, bourbon, bourbon, bourbon, MUST MAKE bourbon glazed bacon immediately, if not sooner.

And you should! Its sweet, smokey, salty bacon bourbon goodness makes it a delightful treat for any time of day. I would recommend that you make this when you are serving a crowd. A taste here and a taste there can turn into half a plate of bacon in the blink of an eye. That may or may not have happened to me today. All in the name of research...right?

The best part is that it is so simple to make and you probably have all of the ingredients in your pantry already! This would be the perfect addition to any Easter Brunch or Derby Party.

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Bourbon Glazed Bacon

• 1 Package of Thick Cut Bacon - Preferably from Kentucky. 
• 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup of Your Favorite Bourbon
• 1/4 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
• Pinch of Salt
• Dash of Chipotle Powder
• Dash of Cinnamon
• Dash of Cayenne
• Chopped Pecans (optional) 

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350. 
2. Line your jelly roll pans with aluminum foil. I used three layers (a piece on each side and then one down the middle) to ensure that it was an easy clean up. Top your aluminum foil with a cooling rack, this will allow the bacon to get extra crispy.
3. Combine light brown sugar, bourbon, maple syrup and spices in gallon size freezer bag. 
4. Cut bacon in half and add to freezer bag. 
5. Toss that beautiful bacon until it is fully coated.
6. Put bacon on tray, careful not to over lap. 
7. Place tray of bacon on the top rack of your oven and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, drizzle the bacon with any remaining glaze left in your freezer bag.
8. Bake for an additional 15 minutes for chewy bacon or 20 for those who like it crispy. 
9. Sprinkle with salt and chopped pecans and let bacon rest for 5 minutes.
10. Try not to eat all of it before it gets to the table!

Tips

1. I have made this a few times and the freezer bag is the easiest and cleanest way to coat the bacon. 
2. Adjust the spice according to your taste. I wanted to add a little something extra, but did not want to take away from the stars of our show. I started with a teaspoon of each and it was much too strong. 
3. Bake bacon one pan at a time on the top rack of your oven. If placed on the bottom rack, the drippings will burn. We want our smokey flavor to come from the bacon...not the oven. 
4. I know it seems odd to sprinkle salty bacon with salt, but we added a lot of sugar to that bacon and we need the salt to counter it. I would taste your bacon first to make sure it's not too salty and then lightly sprinkle. It will make a world of difference and highlight all of the flavors. 
5. Spray your cooling racks with a non-stick cooking spray and the bacon will come right off. It helps for clean up too!