Elizabeth Mayhew at the Kentucky Center!

I'm so excited for tomorrow night's Kentucky to the World talk at the Kentucky Center for the Arts! The speaker is style expert and Draper James brand editor Elizabeth Mayhew. Elizabeth is a Today Show contributor, a Washington Post columnist, and a design author. She's also a Kentucky native and so, so lovely to work with! I recently had the chance to meet Elizabeth at the Lexington Draper James store, and she is just so gracious and lovely and authentic! I can't wait to attend this event and hear how Elizabeth's Kentucky roots helped her succeed on a national level! I hope to see y'all there! 

Click here for ticket information, and remember to follow the HerKentucky Event Calendar for more interesting and exciting events here in the Bluegrass State! 

Draper James Print Tops for Seasonal Transition

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Y'all, I am so in love with the new tops that just dropped from Draper James! They're such fun prints that will work now and into fall!

I may have already ordered the Sadler Stripe Knit Tee in raspberry. I think it'll be a great transitional piece to wear with white jeans now, and dark wash jeans or navy pants in upcoming months. (The top comes in navy as well!)

I'm moderately obsessed with this Foxy Tie-Neck Top. It would be perfect with a skirt now, or with a suit or cardigan into the fall!

This Spirit Cloister Top is perfect for 'Cats fans like me! It's another piece that would be perfect with white jeans now, and then with jeans or slacks in the fall!

Click here for $20 off your online Draper James order!

A Summer Evening with Woodford Reserve and Ben Sollee

A couple of weeks ago, my lovely friend Elizabeth McCall, Master Taster at Woodford Reserve, invited a group of our friends to visit the Distillery for a lovely summer evening of food, drinks, and music. It was the perfect Kentucky summer evening!

We started with a tour of the Distillery, where we learned about the grains -- corn, rye, and malted barley -- that go into the Woodford Reserve mash bill. We also learned a little about the yeast fermentation process, the distillation, and the maturation in charred barrels. One of my favorite things about distillery tours is the way that a very standardized process varies in small ways -- grain varietals, yeast recipes, wood type -- to produce very different bourbons. I always learn a little something new, even at distilleries I've visited before. This time, Elizabeth explained the barley-malting process to me!

Another fun fact I learned on this tour is that while we typically assume that all Kentucky bourbon stills were produced by Louisville-based Vendome Copper & Brass Works, the iconic triple stills at Woodford Reserve were actually produced by Scotland's Forsyths of Rothes, the company that produces stills for many famous Scotch whiskeys. The Woodford Reserve stills had recently been shined up and were extra-pretty for our tour!

There's nothing like a trip through a rickhouse. Getting a whiff of the "angel's share" just never gets old! 

We then sat down to an amazing dinner prepared by Woodford Reserve chef de cuisine Nat Henton who is, in the words of Ouita Michel, Woodford's chef in residence, "one hell of a chef." The four course meal didn't disappoint. Shrimp and grits made a perfect appetizer, while the greek salad with local heirloom tomatoes and a Woodford Rye-infused salad dressing was amazing. The main course was osso bucco with a Woodford Reserve jus and, in the most creative and tongue-in-cheek touch, a Woodford Reserve Mash Bill risotto! We finished with a dessert of Midway Bakery Lemon Love, a light and delicious lemon curd pie. The entire evening was paired with cocktail and wine selections -- very well-timed and moderated for responsible enjoyment and flavor enhancement! After the event, Elizabeth introduced our group to Chef Nat; he was so cool and humble, and we learned that his family farm is on the road to Woodford Reserve!

One of the coolest touches of the evening was that Kentucky native singer-songwriter-cellist Ben Sollee provided music for the event. Ben actually had dinner at our table. It was so wonderful to talk with Ben, he's so funny and personable and knowledgeable. We had a really great conversation about the problematic origins of My Old Kentucky Home, and how the song has evolved. I may have embarrassed a couple of my dining companions by asking Ben what holler his family is originally from; turns out that his roots are in Whitley County's hollers!

As Ben played our state song, I sipped on our after-dinner drink, Woodford Reserve Double-Oaked, and thought of my own Kentucky Home in the hollers of Floyd County. I thought of my grandfather, who played old-timey mountain music on a Martin guitar. Maybe I just had my grandpa, who always kept those little yellow butterscotch candies around, on my mind, or maybe the temperature hit the whiskey differently. Whatever the reason, I pulled a really strong butterscotch note for the very first time on the Double-Oaked, a bourbon I've tried several times before. It was truly a perfect Kentucky evening!

Draper James Lucky You Sale!

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I'm in Nashville for very short trip today. I even got to stop by the Draper James mother ship, which was as fabulous as ever. Even more fabulous is that Draper James just dropped their Lucky You Summer Sale, and it is so good, y'all! Here are a few of my favorites from the summer sale!

My favorite seersucker skirt is on sale!  It's also available as a dress or shorts. The great thing is, you've still got a month left to wear seersucker, and you know it'll still be in style next year!

And my favorite Hello Sunshine tee is under $20!

Of course, Kentucky girls need this Lexington Horseshoe Key Fob! 

Shop more of my favorite Draper James sale items below, and click here for $20 off your full-price online DJ order!

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats at Forecastle Festival

When the 2017 Forecastle Festival schedule was released, Bob and I were excited to get the chance to see Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats here in Louisville. The Saturday afternoon show was just perfect -- great weather, a great crowd, and a really solid set.

If you've listened to any of Nathaniel Rateliff's music, you know it was a high-energy set, with influences ranging from roots/Americana to gospel to blues and soul. At times, there's some good old jam band mixed in with a little Bell Bottom Blues-era Clapton. I'm not a music writer, but I know it was a great set. Rateliff had a great rapport with the audience while playing a tight, fun set. His best-known tracks, Look It Here and S.O.B., were the big  crowd-pleasers of the hour-long set, and I found myself wishing I could follow the band on down to Birmingham for the Sloss Festival the following night. I guess that's how music festival habits get formed.

Fred Noe and Bruce Russell at Forecastle Bourbon Lodge

This weekend's Forecastle Festival was so fun, y'all. In addition to the musical lineup, the Bourbon Lodge featured some rockstars of the spirits industry. On Saturday, Bob and I took in the  Bourbon Family Icons Fireside Charm, which was moderated by author Fred Minnick, and which featured Fred Noe, the great-grandson of Jim Beam and the current Master Distiller at his family's whiskey company, as well as Bruce Russell, the grandson of legendary Wild Turkey Master Distiller Jimmy Russell. 

Now, I've spent the majority of the last year interviewing and researching folks in the bourbon industry for my book. I still get extremely starstruck when I'm in the room with Mr. Noe or Bill Samuels Jr of Maker's Mark and I know it would be the same if I had the opportunity to meet Jimmy Russell. These old-school bourbon guys -- the ones who don't try to speak corporate lingo and for whom the family bourbon label is a source of heritage and pride -- well, they're just the best of Kentucky.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the bourbon industry is, as Mr. Noe mentioned during the Fireside Chat, that many of the historical bourbon producing families are friends. In fact, many times during this session, Mr. Noe referenced his own friendship with Bruce Russell's father, Eddie. Both men referenced drinking the other's whiskeys. It's one of my favorite aspects I've seen in researching the bourbon industry: there really is a camaraderie and a sense that it's better if they all succeed. 

Oh, and one more fun fact from the Fireside Chat: Mr. Noe name-checked his buddy Bobby Ritchie, better known to the rest of us as Jim Beam aficionado Kid Rock. It was at once surreal and hilarious.

Here's to a great experience in the Forecastle Bourbon Lodge. I can't wait to check out next year's lineup!

The Diaper Fairy Emily Weixler McCay's Forecastle Goals

I'm so excited for Forecastle Festival this weekend! I'm also extremely honored to bring you this story about hope, happiness, and healing today. Emily Weixler McCay is known around Louisville for her beautiful smile, her love of spreading glitter, and her Highlands-based business, The Diaper Fairy Cottage. Emily, a wife, mother, DONA trained doula, and entrepreneur, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia last fall; she set "attend Louisville's Music Festival season" as a healing goal. I felt so humbled that Emily agreed to share her story with HerKentucky readers, and I look forward to seeing her (and all of y'all!) at Forecastle!

Emily Weixler McCay, photo by Sarah Schweizer Hester of SSH Photography. 

Louisville folks know you as the Glitter Fairy. Can you please tell me a little bit about your business, The Diaper Fairy, and about your penchant for spreading glitter and happiness wherever you go?

Seven years ago, I opened a modern cloth diaper delivery service, The Diaper Fairy, to fill an unmet need for Kentuckiana families. Our specialty door-to-door laundry service offers the opportunity to set dirty diapers out on the front porch with the promise that we will come by and replace them with cleans. How cool is that? A Diaper Fairy lands on your porch and takes the dirty work out of choosing cloth diapers. Let’s face it, what we do isn't glamorous and we’ve always been in on the joke that we’re #1 in a #2 business. So, if we can throw some glitter and fun at the dirty work of parenting, my Flock of Fairies and I are all for it! 

Around 4 years ago, we saw an opportunity to fill another niche and expanded again into a brick and mortar boutique, The Diaper Fairy Cottage (because every Fairy needs a Cottage). Our goal is to provide parenting items and resources that could be hard to find locally. Our boutique offers much more than diapers. We’ve focused on natural parenting gifts and gear, classes and private consultations on topics such as breastfeeding and baby-wearing, and we’ve built a vibrant and inclusive parenting community that meet for toddler crafts hours and new baby support groups. 

You’ve been through so much in the past year or so. Can you please tell me a little bit about your diagnosis, treatment and your wonderfully positive outlook?

Last year on Halloween, after being fatigued and anemic for several weeks, blood work and a bone marrow biopsy uncovered an underlying blood marrow failure cancer called Myelodysplastic Syndrome. I was quickly referred to Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis, MO and by my first consultation, just 11 days later, my aggressive cancer had progressed to Acute Myeloid Leukemia. I was basically admitted on-site and underwent two back-to-back rounds of induction chemotherapy to try and get me in remission.   

I was hospitalized for a solid seven weeks in St. Louis during the process which is incredibly isolating and hard. I relied on daily meditation, an escape into the music playlists that my husband would make for me, and constant walks up and down the hallway. I found strength and support in focusing on the pictures and cards that plastered the walls of my hospital room and would take time to sit in windows streaming with sunshine to help keep my inner light lit. 
The induction chemo worked for just a few weeks and my cancer quickly returned as soon as my bone marrow attempted recovery. My doctors had to move up a timeline for my stem cell transplant because I was so ill. My brother was identified as the fastest, closest match and he donated his stem cells in early February with another month long hospital stay. To (over)simplify an explanation of how a stem cell transplant works, his cells were transfused in, they engrafted into my bone marrow, and started to grow new healthy blood for me. I’m now 100% my brother’s blood inside and right now, I’m 100% leukemia-free. He has literally saved my life. 

Early on in my diagnosis, my husband and I made the decision to share the news and my journey through a group we call “Emily Conquers Leukemia”. The group now nicknames themselves “ECL Nation” and it’s filled with friends, family, and colleagues that are nationwide! I have been so fortunate to have an incredible amount of support  through my treatment. I have often said, I have felt like we have a network of hands under us, holding me and my family up as we CONQUER this. I’ve had people thank me for staying visible during these past nine months and honestly, I don’t know how else I would have done it. 

Maybe the silver lining in this terrible strike of lightning is for us all to recognize it’s about living a life of intention and loving those around you. A life of gratitude. The reality could be that life is quality over quantity. None of us are promised tomorrow.

The journey hasn’t been easy, at all. But I do credit having a “Good Vibes Only” outlook for helping me reach each daily milestone of survival. I have learned so much through this process. I very much take it one day at at time. There were days where I have had to take it one hour at a time. I now move at a slower pace and I don’t multi-task nearly as much. I find it easier to stay present and be in the moment. 

Emily's "Festival Season" kimono, custom-made by Louisville designer Gunnar Deatherage. Photo by Sarah Schweizer Hester of SSH Photography. 

I know Festival Season has been a huge milestone in your recovery. Can you please tell me about how you set Forecastle as a goal for yourself and your physicians?

Live music has always been a very important part of my life and has fed my soul for years! In fact, before my diagnosis, my husband and I were planning to attend My Morning Jacket’s “One Big Holiday”, a destination music festival in Mexico in February…But as it turned out, my stem cell transplant timeline settled in during the *exact* dates of the tropical festival. (We’ve often joked that I attended “One Big Transplant” instead!) I knew I’d be just under 6 months out from my stem cell transplant when music festival season was underway, and Forecastle specifically. I’ve always loved our hometown, yet national, music festival and we’ve been honored to be vendors the past couple of years. 

While being a vendor wasn’t going to be an option for us this year, Forecastle and AC Entertainment made it clear that if my health allowed it, they would welcome us as guests. As soon as I heard that, I prepped my transplant team for making it a recovery milestone. My health and endurance has continued to improve since my move back home in early May, and so my transplant team approved me to go! This year will be a little more chill for us as I’ll need to make sure to stay super hydrated, take breaks from the heat and sun, and I honestly can’t give out a lot of hugs because I’m still immunocompromised. Still, to be here, meeting this milestone, feeling healthy and normal, feels AMAZING. 

Finally, can you tell me a little about the Parent Comfort Tent? 

Yes! As it turned out, while we aren’t vendors this year, a last minute opportunity presented itself to host the Parent Comfort Tent again this year. The space is located at the back of the festival grounds, where it’s quieter, on Kentucky Landing’s Buy Local Boulevard. The Parent Comfort Tent gives space for parents to comfortably feed a baby, change a diaper, or pump milk if they are away from their nursling. The booth features fans to cool the private tent, comfortable chairs for feeding, extension cords for breast pumps, and a diaper changing table for the littles. We are also providing breast milk storage bags, disposable breast pads, diaper wipes and diaper cream. The space will be available all three days of the Festival and will be open until 9pm each night. We hope knowing this tent is a comfortable option for families means more parents will attend Forecastle and enjoy the festival. Because, honestly, couldn’t we all use a little more music and celebration in our lives? 

Thanks so much to Emily for sharing this journey with HerKentucky! Wishing you continued healing and happiness, Emily!