HerKentucky x Louisville Stoneware Shop & Sip!
Shop with HerKentucky and Louisville Stoneware to benefit The Center for Women & Families!
So, my birthday is this Friday. Every year, I ask the same favor of my social media friends. If you were planning to text, Facebook, call, or send a card, please take that time instead to clean out a closet and donate a gently used coat to a shelter of your choice. It’s always a cold, cold week, and I just love the idea that my friends and I are spreading some warmth to those who need it.
This year, my friends at Stoneware & Co. (formerly Louisville Stoneware) are helping me celebrate my birthday with a fun shopping event that benefits some of Louisville’s most vulnerable women and children. This Wednesday, January 16th, from 5-7pm, I’m hosting a Shop & Sip at Stoneware to benefit The Center for Women and Families. 15% of the night’s proceeds will benefit The Center for Women and Families which provides advocacy and support for individuals and families affected by intimate partner violence and sexual assault. We’ll offer a raffle and light refreshments, and will be collecting new and lightly used coats at the door.
I’m so excited about our raffle prize — it’s a wine cooler in Stoneware’s elegant Embossed Running Horse pattern! This gorgeous piece is a $75 value and also makes a very elegant vase for showstopping centerpieces. I love how it was styled at a recent charity event I attended!
Visit the event’s Facebook invitation for more information. If you can’t attend in person, Stoneware has graciously extended the opportunity for y’all to make phone orders during the event hours. Call the Stoneware showroom at 502-582-1900 Wednesday from 5-7 to place a local pickup or shipped order, and your purchase will benefit The Center for Women & Families!
I hope to see y’all there!
Gift Guide for Black Lab Lovers!
The perfect presents for Labrador retriever fans!
Lab Door Hanger, c/o ForPetesSake Potter
If you know Bob or me at all, then you know we’re fairly obsessed with our dogs. In our defense, they’re really great dogs. Well, most of the time. But they’re awfully cute.
A lot of folks love their Labs and Lab mixes as much as we do, so I found a few fun gift picks for the black Lab lover!
Classic Longsleeve Tee, The Black Dog. Bob and I both have tees from The Black Dog. They’re so soft and comfy, and just so fun!
Labrador Door Hanger, ForPetesSake Pottery. Y’all, I love this! It goes ahead and warns people that I’m a crazy dog lady before they even enter my home. ForPetesSake Pottery is run by the sweetest lady, Susan Brown, who just happens to be my neighbor here in St. Matthews.
(and 7) Labrador Bourbon Barrel Hanger, Drunkwood. Another great local present! Drunkwood’s owner, John King, makes the most gorgeous installations from used barrel heads. So, so fun!
Black Lab Cufflinks, Smathers & Branson. I feel like these need to be Bob’s Christmas present from Max, don’t y’all??
Black Lab Needlepoint Hat, Smathers & Branson. I have this in pink which, sadly, is a color they no longer offer. It’s perfect for taking Max and Soph for a walk!
Campfire Mug, The Black Dog. I mean, sooooo cute.
What’s your favorite dog breed? Do you
My Favorite Cashmere Sweater
My luxury wardrobe staple is surprisingly affordable!
Photo © Space, Place & Southern Grace.
Sweater: Charter Club by Macy’s; Scarf: Barbour (old; similar here); Bracelet: Kendra Scott
My very favorite sweaters are on serious sale at Macy’s right now, and I just wanted to share the secret with y’all! I love these solid, crewneck sweaters for pairing with everything from jeans to dressy skirts. I try to pick up a couple every year; with proper care, they make a comfortable and luxe wardrobe item at a very reasonable price! The red will be the perfect touch for upcoming holiday events!
I wore this blush pink sweater and matching wrap to Churchill Downs last month. I swear, people kept touching my arm because the cashmere was so soft!
How I Shop Black Friday
Tips for the 2018 Shopping Holiday
{This blog post contains affiliate links. HerKentucky will receive a small, per-purchase commission at no additional cause to the reader.}
Black Friday — love it or hate it, it’s the biggest shopping day of the year. While I’m not one for braving crowds, there are definitely some online sales I like to check out, both for myself for Christmas presents. Here’s a roundup of the sales I like to check out, and a few of my favorite items!
Favorite Stores
Draper James
Y’all know Draper James is one of my very favorite lines and they’re offering a rare 25% off sitewide and in-store through Monday the 26th. It’s a great time to stock up on fun holiday pieces, and I may finally pull the trigger on the Dolly tote!
Vineyard Vines
Everything is 25% off in-store and online with code HOLIDAY18! It’s a great time to stock up on fun holiday pieces and my favorites, the Louisville Stoneware mug and Cookies for Santa set!
Kendra Scott
Kendra Scott is offering a tiered Yellow Friday special — 20% off everything; 25% off purchases of $100 or more; 30% off purchases of $300 or more.
LL Bean
Take 20% off everything, and get a $10 gift card back when you spend $50. I may have already pulled the trigger on my favorite pajamas! Even better, Bean Boots are 25% off with code Boot25!
Ann Taylor
Ann Taylor is always a great spot for workwear and dressy event clothing! Everything is half price with code BLACKFRIDAY!
Talbots
Talbots always has great classic pieces that wear so well. They’re offering 50% off one item through noon Friday and 40% off everything until midnight Friday.
Macy’s
I LOVE the Charter Club cashmere sweaters from Macy’s! I wore a crewneck sweater and wrap set to Churchill Downs last week, and I swear, people couldn’t stop touching the wrap. It’s just so soft!! The long-sleeved crewneck sweater is my everyday go-to in the fall and winter. It’s so simple that you can pair it with anything from a fancy skirt to jeans. Best of all, it’s $39 right now. That’s not a typo. Stock up on these, give them a little care, and they’lll last for years!
Local Favorites
Two of my very favorite local stores have some GREAT Black Friday sales you can’t miss!
Logan’s of Lexington
Y’all know I love Logan’s of Lexington, and they have 25% off everything in store! My True Grit Pullover is down to $98!
Stoneware & Company
Stoneware is offering 10% off your entire purchase, with 15% off purchases of $250 or more. It’s a great time to stock up on serving pieces and place settings!
Happy Shopping, y’all!!!
Logan's of Lexington Holiday Gift Guide
Christmas Shopping Guide from Lexington’s favorite spot for traditional menswear!
Have y’all been to the new Logan’s of Lexington in Lexington Green?
Of course, longtime Lexingtonians know that Logan’s is the best place for men’s suiting. It’s also a great place for preppy gifts for everyone on your holiday list! I’ve teamed up with Logan’s to show y’all some of my very favorite gift ideas. There’s something for your husband, dad, son — and maybe even yourself! The best part? Use code HERKENTUCKY on your online order, and you’ll get 20% off! (This includes Barbour, y’all! I’m pretty excited!)
Clockwise from top left: True Grit Half Zip | Vineyard Vines Basketball Tee | Barbour Scarf | Barbour Fair Isle Sweater | Vineyard Vines Kentucky Tee | Smathers & Branson Kroger Field Needlepoint Wallet | Smathers & Branson Rupp Arena Wallet | Smathers & Branson UK Cufflinks | Barbour Bedale Jacket | SEC Baseball Cap | Barbour Flask
I’ve picked out some great pieces that I know HerKentucky readers will love — needlepoint, UK, Barbour, Vineyard Vines, and more! My personal favorite is this True Grit pullover. I wore it to the UK football game on Saturday, and it was so snuggly and warm! Y’all will love it!
The 20% off code lasts through the end of November and is online only. Happy shopping, y’all!
{Thanks so much to Logan’s for sponsoring this post and extending this discount to HerKentucky readers! All opinions are my own!}
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty Book Review
Liane Moriarty’s newest book is compelling and unforgettable.
{Disclaimer: This review contains affiliate links to Amazon.com. I will be compensated a very small amount per book purchased through the links contained in this post, at no additional charge to you.}
I finished Liane Moriarty’s Nine Perfect Strangers today; it was one of the most compelling, un-put-downable stories I’ve read in a long time. I think it’s one of those stories that you’ll either love or hate, and I definitely fell into the love category.
Nine Perfect Strangers refers to nine people who seek a life-changing retreat at an Australian health resort. Playing on the cliche of “perfect strangers”, Ms. Moriarty’s characters are far from perfect — they’re all suffering from some sort of psychological or interpersonal crisis. The soon learn that the retreat is led by Masha, who may be a revolutionary in her field, or who may be something far more sinister. The work is compelling, funny, heartbreaking, and so thought-provoking. At times, I feared the story was turning a little cliched — the young couple whose lives were ruined by a winning lottery ticket springs to mind — but, then again, aren’t most human problems a little pedantic to everyone but ourselves? The story is full of twists and turns, some predictable and others quite surprising. Readers familiar with Ms. Moriarty’s previous work will note that this one presents a larger scale of story with several intertwined storylines. It ranks among Ms. Moriarty’s best, like Big Little Lies and The Hypnotist’s Love Story.
I had the lovely opportunity to attend a book event for Nine Perfect Strangers last week here in Louisville. It was so fun to watch my friend and fellow blogger Anne Bogel of Modern Mrs. Darcy interview Ms. Moriarty about this book. It was particularly fascinating to hear that the story was originally conceived from a single point of view (the middle-aged, unlucky-in-love romance novelist Frances Welty, who serves as the protagonist of the story). I found this interesting because the changes in point of view allowed the reader to really see the characters as others saw them, rather than through their own lenses of self-deprecation. Ms. Moriarty was just so charming and candid that it made me love her work even more! She was so lovely when asked about the Big Little Lies series — she noted, with exaggerated indignation that her Madeline (as originally conceived in the novel) would have never had an affair, unlike “Reese’s Madeline” (the character as played by Reese Witherspoon)! It was so perfect!
Do y’all read Liane Moriarty? I’d love to hear your take on Nine Perfect Strangers, Big Little Lies, or any of her other works!
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Maker's Mark Bourbon Balls
Classic holiday dessert made with Maker’s Mark bourbon!
Maker’s Mark Bourbon Balls are my family’s favorite holiday tradition. I make at least one batch every Christmas season! This recipe was been passed down from my great-aunt Marie. While I’m all for exploring your bourbon palate most of the year, I’m pretty adamant that this must be made with Maker’s Mark! The sweet wheated bourbon is just perfect with the tart semisweet chocolate! Besides, who am I to question a 50 year-old family recipe??
I know the Christmas holiday is a few weeks off, but I wanted to share my Maker’s Mark Bourbon Balls recipe with y’all so you can plan to include it in your holiday dessert plan!
I’ve teamed up with some great Kentucky-based bloggers to share holiday dessert recipes. Just click the photos to read the recipe! I hope y’all enjoy them all!
