easter revisited

These are a few of our favorite Easter things:

Polyvore by dthoskins

• Create gorgeous Easter eggs with this fun and easy silk-tie dying method.
• Simple Easter centerpiece for your table
• Adding white back into your wardrobe for the spring
• Delicious baked cheese blintzes to add to your Easter buffet
• Good egg finds from unexpected places
• Fabulous and sophisticated Easter looks, beyond the “Easter dress”

What are your favorite Easter things?

easy apricot butter & croissants

photo by dthoskins

This is one of my favorite “no-cook” recipes.  It is a huge crowd pleaser and it is so quick—perfect for an early breakfast meeting or a festive brunch (say Easter morning?)

Apricot Butter

What you’ll need:

• 1 stick of room temperature unsalted butter (I like to leave mine out overnight, so it is very soft)
• 2/3 cup of apricot preserves (I prefer Harry and David)
• pinch of kosher salt

I serve my apricot butter on store bought croissants that I have sliced and tossed in the oven on a baking sheet (350 degrees for 3-5 minutes, serve immediately).

Yum!

local portrait artist {christie bransom} & discount for readers

Remember the very talented Christie?  I wanted to share the incredibly adorable portrait that she completed for my family—my two-year old and the family dog, Derby.

Isn’t it great!  I can’t wait to get it framed and put on display.  Christie is very talented and she has graciously agreed to, once again, offer a discount to our readers!  Just mention the coupon below.

Don’t delay!  These portraits make great gifts for Mother’s Day!

bluegrass lovebirds: phil + elizabeth

I’m so excited to share our final bluegrass lovebirds story for 2013.  Thank you to all of the wonderful reader feedback over the last several weeks.  It was a true honor to be able to share these stories with you, with special thanks to the brave couples who contributed.

I have to say of our featured couple, I feel a total kinship with Elizabeth because of her amazing party planning skills (you know I love a good party)!  If you haven’t checked out Lovely Little Parties, you definitely should—her sweet blog is so fun to read.  Plus, we share a love of all things Melanie Mauer (who also photographed my wedding and theirs)!

Introducing…

image by Melanie Mauer 

How did you first meet? Was it “love at first sight” or were your “just friends”?

We met at Kelly’s Fruit Market and were just friends

Where did you go on your first date?

I don’t know if we actually ever had an official first date. We would hang out, grab a bite to eat, watch movies, cook dinner together, listen to local bands…..it all lead to the conclusion of “I guess we’re dating?”

Where did you share your first kiss?

Hmmm…….probably after I saw him play drums (he was in a band at the time). There’s something about a musician, I guess. haha

When did you know that he/she was “the one”?

When I realized he loved me exactly the way I was. I never have to try to be someone else, just me! We truly are best friends.

Tell us about your engagement proposal… 

It was more of a mutual decision we both made. We had talked about getting married before but it wasn’t a topic we discussed a lot. One day, when the subject came up we both agreed if we’re going to do this, let’s go for it…..the timing just felt right. Two months later we were tying the knot!

When and where were you married? 

We were married in downtown Lexington by the Justice of the Peace. My grandmother was our witness and Ella, our 5 yr. old daughter, was our guest. It was very intimate and absolutely perfect in every way imaginable. Afterward, we met our parents and closest friends for dinner at Table 310.

 image by Melanie Mauer

bluegrass lovebirds: grant + charlene

These bluegrass lovebirds attended my alma mater and were married in front  of my work place, so I have a special place in my heart for their story.

Introducing newlyweds…

Grant and Charlene Buckles

Years Together: 5 ½ beautiful years

Years Married: 8 months

image by Stephanie Lyell

Tell us a bit about yourselves…

After graduating from Transy, Charlene began her unpredictable (yet wonder-full) journey as a Montessori teacher and Grant started his long (sometimes pain-staking) road to receive his PhD. Charlene loves creating things, photography, and all things Kentucky. Grant loves the NBA/NCAA/MLB, travelling, and great books.

How did you first meet?  Was it “love at first sight” or were your “just friends”?

We met at Transy. We sat next to each other at a guest lecture in Carrick Theater and since then we’ve never left each other’s side.

Where did you go on your first date?

Unofficially, we went to Thorton’s Gas Station during a study break one night. He bought pineapples from there and tried to jokingly convince me they were as good as the ones from Hawaii.  (FYI — They weren’t).

Officially, we went to Kelly’s Farm and got lost in their corn maze. We repeated this tradition every year we lived in Lexington.

When did you share your first kiss?

It was on campus at Transy — unexpected and sweet.

When did you know that he/she was “the one”?

He: I can’t pinpoint a certain moment. I just know that she makes me laugh and makes my day so much brighter than the day before.

She: He told me his political philosophy and knew he was the one. I fall deeper in love with him each day.

Tell us about your engagement proposal…

Her version: On a Monday afternoon in May, I forgot that I didn’t have any olive oil for Monday night dinner. Since it was a gorgeous spring day, Grant suggested we should take a walk to Shorty’s since we hadn’t been there yet. We cut through Gratz Park and stopped in front of the Carnegie Center on the corner of Second and Market (I always stop there when we take our walks downtown – I think it is the most beautiful spot in all of downtown Lexington). When I turned around, Grant was down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I said yes (Of course)!

His version:  I bought the ring and I was antsy to propose. I figured that there was not a better time than on a Monday afternoon when she was least expecting it. I knew that she wanted to go to the new grocery store downtown so I popped the ring in my sock and suggested we should take a walk there. I was really nervous. When we got to the Carnegie Center where I knew she would stop to look at the building, I got down on one knee and proposed. She screamed and said, “Oh my god! Are you serious!” I took that as a yes.

When and where were you married?

June 9, 2012 (6.9.12 so we could both remember it easily). We got married in front of the beautiful doors of the Carnegie Center where Grant proposed. It was the most perfect day.

image by Stephanie Lyell

He Said/She Said…

My partner’s best quality is…

He: Her passion and she makes me laugh real big.
She: His thoughtfulness and how he can easily make me smile.

The thing about my partner that drives me crazy is…

He: When she makes me fill out these questionnaires
She: When he’s watching his favorite sport team(s) and they’re losing. It’s the only time I hear him yelling. Sometimes it’s really scary.

My number one piece of advice about love is…

He: Make sure you have dinner together every night and just never stop talking to each other.
She: Cherish the every day. It’s easy to go from one high to the next (this-date-to-that vacation-kind-of-thing) but the every day… well that’s where real love is cultivated and can flourish.

image by Stephanie Lyell

Thanks, Grant and Charlene!  To catch up on other bluegrass love stories, read more here, here, here and here.  Stay tuned for our final bluegrass love story feature later in the week, as we close out this month of love.

To true love.

xoxo

bluegrass lovebirds: daniel + jessica

I’m super excited to feature another wonderful bluegrass couple.  Their lovely wedding was so sweet to witness!

Introducing…

We met at a mutual friend’s party the day after I moved back to Lexington from Washington DC.  He gave me some cheesy line and I really kind of blew him off.  Later that evening some girlfriends and I went to Lynagh’s Club (now Cosmic Charlies) to hear a local band called Roger Whites Electric Heat, circa 2003.  I walked in the doors and the band was jamming out to Whipping Post by the Allman Brothers.  I was named after their song Jessica, so the Brothers have always had a soft spot in my heart.  Anyway, I remember thinking this drummer is badass and when I went up front to get a better look I realized it was Daniel, the guy I met earlier at the party.  This time I did not blow him off. He definitely had my attention.

We never really had a first date. After we first met our paths kept crossing.  We had an Anthropology class at UK together and even ended up serving at the same restaurant. It was strange, everywhere we went we would run into each other.  Eventually, we started walking to school together. He would come to my house in-between class and I would make him lunch.  It was non-stop laughter.  We just had so much fun together. Although there was certainly a mutual attraction it was a few months before we accepted it. Looking back, it is really kind of sweet how shy we both were. If I had to pick one particular day though it would probably be the Bush protest downtown, followed by LIT’s at McCarthy’s and dinner at High on Rose.

 

katherine is on The Mother Stucker Blog

I’m super humbled to be featured today on the fabulous Mother Stucker Blog for her Mother to Mother segment.  Special thanks to Christy Stucker for a fun interview!

Check out the full feature here.

xoxo

bluegrass love birds: griffin + sarah wylie

Did you have a fun Valentine’s Day yesterday?  We hope so!

To keep the romantic mood going, we are excited to share another bluegrass love story with you.

Introducing the fabulous…

 Griffin and Sarah Wylie VanMeter

Years Together: Almost 5 years
Years Married: Over 3 years

Tell us a bit about yourselves…

We are both artists with professional lives that touch on our creativity. I’m an instructor of at UK in digital media (video, digital collage, and other things). He has a marketing firm called Bullhorn. We’re also both really good at adding programs and initiatives to our plates. Even though we keep ourselves busy, we keep each other in the loop by describing our days in detail while we cook dinner together.

How did you first meet? Was it “love at first sight” or were your “just friends”?

I feel like we had a couple first meetings. The very first time we met we didn’t introduce ourselves to each other. It was July 4th weekend, a parade Saturday, about 10 years ago. I was working in a gallery here in Lexington and I had made cookies because only a couple people would come in the gallery on parade days and I thought I would reward them. One of those people was this guy, who saunters in, sis in the chair across the desk from me and eats several cookies very quickly while chatting. Then he leaves. The next Saturday I hadn’t made any cookies but this same guy comes again, gets a few feet into the gallery and asks where the cookies are. “I don’t make them every Saturday”. He leaves. He’s not obnoxious, he’s funny and interesting, but not love at first sight.
The next time I really remember having a moment with him was maybe a year later outside a music venue, The Dame. I am laughing so hard at everything he says – so hard I can’t breathe. I feel like he must think I’m an idiot. I think he’s amazing, but I’m dating someone and I’m very loyal, so I wasn’t interested in him as someone to date.

Where did you go on your first date?

Our first official date was several years later, about 6 years ago. I was living in San Francisco, getting an MFA, and Griffin comes out to visit a friend. We had been talking (texting and chatting) before he came so I knew we were going to see each other. This would be the first time we would hang out together as two single people. As I was standing in line for the LCD Sound System show we were going to see, a limo shows up and Griffin is standing through the sunroof. He hops out and takes me to the front of the line and we go in. I was thinking… this guy really is amazing. We danced the whole night wearing rainbow masks. It was a fantastic evening.

Where did you share your first kiss?

The evening continued after the concert to Griffin’s hotel room. We talked and talked – I laughed and laughed. We kissed and it felt very sweet and old-fashioned.

When did you know that he/she was “the one”?

He came back out to San Francisco a year later. We had been communicating by mail for the past 6 months, but he left some details out of his correspondance. He was telling his friends that he was going to San Francisco to ‘get the woman he was going to marry’. That woman was me. I didn’t know about his plan. Even so, the first time I saw him during this visit I knew. He looked so familiar, like family. I knew instantly that we would be together for the rest of our lives.

Tell us about your engagement proposal…

The proposal happened on this second trip to San Francisco. Remember, we were not dating. But the first night he was there, he laid out his plan to me: that he would love me and encourage me, that he would be loyal to me and good to me. Somewhere in his wonderful proposal he asked if I would marry him. I said, okay.

When and where were you married?

We were married a year and a half later, on November 1, 2009, at the Cane Ridge Meeting House in Bourbon County. Bourbon County is the mid-point for our families, who live in Harrison, Clark, and Fayette Counties.

He Said/She Said…

My partner’s best quality is…

HE: her ability to make everything beautiful.

SHE: his optimism, which keeps me balanced.

The thing about my partner that drives me crazy is…

HE: her aversion to daylight colored lighting.

SHE: he wears his clothes for the day (even his belt!) until he goes to bed. (WHY?!)

My number one piece of advice about love is…

HE: just jump in and roll with it.

SHE: open communication is the single thing you both should strive to keep. The sooner you can express yourself, the more of a non-issue there will be.

Thanks, Griffin and Sarah Wylie!  Stay tuned for more bluegrass love stories this month.

To true love.

xoxo

All images were provided by the contributing couple.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Wishing you a day full of love and fun!

Stay tuned for more bluegrass love stories tomorrow!

bluegrass lovebirds: rives + myra

So, I really can’t get enough of these sweet bluegrass love stories.  If you haven’t read about Ian and Emily yet, check it out here.

Introducing another Kentucky love story…

T. Rives Rash II and Myra E. Shuffett-Rash
Years Together: 3
Years Married: 9 Months

photo credit: JMichaelHaas Photography

Tell us a bit about yourselves… 

We’re both creatives. We love to cook great food.  We love sports. Love our English Bulldog, Miss Bourbon Ball and cats, Evy and Carbón (Rives really loves his cats!).  We now have a 4 week old little boy, Timothy Rives Rash III.

How did you first meet? Was it “love at first sight” or were your “just friends”?

We met at UK Architecture School. We were just friends for several years.

Where did you go on your first date?

Our first dates centered around UK basketball and March Madness.  So we first went to Cheapside to eat dinner and watch UK play.

Where did you share your first kiss?

In Rives’ tiny little kitchen.

When did you know that he/she was “the one”?

Rives cooked me dinner. I was smitten after that.  Once we started really hanging out the chemistry was pretty clear.

Tell us about your engagement proposal… 

It was late at night after one of our normal delicious meals and a few boubons, Rives told me “lets go walk the dog”.  As we went outside, he said he had to go get something out of his Jeep.  No big deal, seemed normal to me.  I am standing out there watching BB’s go potty.  Rives comes out and drops to one knee with a ring and says ‘its these normal times why I love you, will you marry me.’  The rest is history.

When and where were you married?

May 12, 2012.  We were married outside on a hilltop on the family farm.  The reception was in a barn.

photo credit: JMichael Haas Photography

He Said/She Said…

My partner’s best quality is…

Myra: Rives is very passionate about everything, work, our marriage, being a dad….I love that.

Rives:  Myra is competitive and driven to be successful.  It only helps that she is beautiful!

The thing about my partner that drives me crazy is…

Myra: Rives is always trying to teach me something.  Everything is a lesson.

Rives:  She thinks the dishwasher actually washes dishes.  Hyphenated last names.

My number one piece of advice about love is...

Myra: Do things together, cook, hike, etc.

Rives:  both of you need to pay attention, be patient with each other, all couple matters are grey-weigh the pros and cons diplomatically to make joint decisions, and respect each others’ opinion especially when they are drastically different.  Fight fair.

photo credit: JMichael Haas Photography

Thanks for sharing your story, Rives and Myra!  Stay tuned for even more bluegrass love stories this week, in honor of Valentine’s Day.

To true love.

xoxo

bluegrass love birds: ian + emily

Who doesn’t love a good love story?  I know that I certainly do.  As a hopeless romantic, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the stories that have been sent my way over the last couple of weeks and I can’t wait to share them with you.  We’ll be featuring several of our favorite bluegrass love stories in the coming days in honor of our favorite holiday on the 14th!

We are excited to kick-off this fun series with Ian and Emily, a super fun couple, whose amazing mountaintop wedding, I was lucky enough to attend.

 ian and emily mchone

Years Together: 3 and change

Years Married: little over 1

ian is from louisville (architecture grad). emily is from beattyville (sociology grad). we like dogs and food and being lazy and doing it ourselves (not a sexual innuendo). emily likes to crochet, write music, and play the fiddle. ian likes to design things and tinker.

ian was in architecture, grad school, and emily worked at starbucks. ian stared at her butt while she made him drinks and emily tracked him down on facebook.

a night in with hawaiian pizza, the only pizza, and up

under the gaze of the stars

when emily told ian she was haha. but really, pretty early. from that first date on we’ve been mostly inseparable

Tell us about your engagement proposal….

more of a mutual decision than a proposal. then we took pictures with ian on one knee, to look official. emily was standing

on the top of a hill in east kentucky (where emily is from) overlooking a river valley on a sunny october saturday. 2011. it was perfect.

My partner’s best quality is…

ian: big heart with a pretty smile. plus she can sing good.

emily: can’t just pick one. he’s very easy going. his laugh is contagious

The thing about my partner that drives me crazy is…

ian: good crazy-her dance moves, in particular churning the butter. bad crazy-the lights are always on

emily: ian describes things very thoroughly

What is your greatest piece of advice about love?

So fun, right?  Thanks, Ian and Emily for sharing your story with us.

Stayed tuned for upcoming bluegrass lovebirds.

To true love.

xoxo

valentine’s revistited

It’s February and that means one thing—one of the most fun holidays is right around the corner.  These are a few of our favorite Valentine’s Day things:

• Adore these chocolate madeleines, perfect for sharing with your sweetie.
• Pink and red are a striking color duo that can be worn with sophistication this season.  Try it with an elegant up-do, so your duds don’t look juvenile.
• These slow-cooker sweet treat is perfect for an easy, make after dinner dessert.
• If lace and pink are your thing, we love this look for a romantic night out.
• This sweet flower arrangement can perk up any valentine’s day table.
• Don’t know what to get your guy, try these suggestions for the perfect gift.
• Try some red lipstick to plump up your pout and add some festive flair s.w.a.k.

What are your favorite things about Valentine’s Day?

3, 2, 1…cake!

photo by dthoskins

As someone with a perpetual sweet tooth, this is one of my favorite go-to “diet” desserts.  At only 170 calories, this gives me the taste of a hot, yummy, baked dessert without the guilt.

What you’ll need:

• 3 tbsp of any flavored cake mix (I prefer french vanilla, butter pecan, strawberry, or chocolate)
• 2 tbsp of water
• microwavable dish (I use a ramekin or coffee mug)
• microwave

Step by Step:

1. Measure 3 tbsp of cake mix and place into dish.
2. Add 2 tbsp of water and stir.
3. Microwave for 1 minute on high.
4. Top with the topping of your choice and enjoy.  I love a bit of powdered sugar or a dollop of cool whip.

See, it’s totally easy!  3-2-1, cake!

flower power {guest post by Alice Greene, Lexington, KY}

Above: Grocery store arrangement from the Kroger 3 for $12 collection arranged by diana; photo by dthoskins

On these cold, grey, gloomy January days, nothing brightens my day like a small or large bouquet of flowers.  Don’t let the high prices of floral shops or on-line ordering outlets deter you from filling you home with blooms.  Your local grocery store now has an amazing selection of flowers at affordable prices so you can enjoy flowers every day – not just for special occasions!

Although I am by no means a floral designer, I have found that arranging flowers is not only easy, but also therapeutic.  After the fun of selecting the type of flower you want from the grocery, the next creative adventure is selecting a container for those blooms.  Let your imagination run wild.  I have created arrangements in everything ranging from a hulled out watermelon or pumpkin to old teacups and saucers to mason jars and even old single pieces of glassware and pottery.  

In a nutshell, here’s what I do to bring home the beauty of nature.  First, I check to see what my local grocery store is stocking and the price point.  An exceptional value is always the astromeria because it is usually the best value for the money and also has a longevity of 2 to 3 weeks.  I have these perpetually in my bathroom in one of the white varieties.  For the kitchen table, I often check to see if the store is stocking a seasonal bouquet.  Since I really enjoy the change of the seasons here in Kentucky, these ready-made bouquets are usually ready to just bring home, trim, place in a container and are perfectly arranged on their own.  When the store is not stocking these bouquets, I like to choose different flowers that are all in the same color palette.  For example, if I am looking for a fall arrangement, I might start with a bunch of orange astromeria, a bunch of bittersweet, a bunch of orange tea roses and some greenery.  After I have purchased it and bring it home, I decide which container seems best for these blooms.  I have a favorite amber colored vase and might choose it for my arrangement.  I then determine the height I need for the arrangement.  I base this on how it will be used.  If it is going in the center of my kitchen or dining room table, then I want it to be low so that dinner guests can see each other across the table.  If it is just going in the entry hall on a table, I might use the “rule of thumb” that the flowers rise up two-and-a-half times the height of the receptacle.  Or, as I always say, just “eye-ball it”!!   Nothing is right or wrong – it is just what is visually pleasing to you!  

Flowers are the best way that I know to reinvent a room easily, affordably and on a whim.  Flowers from the grocery store ( I especially like Kroger and Trader Joe’s for their wide variety of flowers and low pricing) have enabled me to have flowers in virtually every room of the house and add color without a permanent commitment.  Don’t forget the entry hall, bathroom and the guest room to welcome out-of-town guests.  

Here’s hoping you will add a little extra change to your grocery budget and enjoy the luxury of flowers.

Thanks, Alice!  If you have something you’d like to share with our readers about bluegrass living and style, send us an email at katherine@bluegrassthreadsky.com or diana@bluegrassthreadsky.com.

cupcake tree

These gloomy bluegrass days have had me longing for spring, so as a pick-me-up I’m revisiting some of my favorite spring things.  This is one of my favorite ways to display cupcakes for a spring shower or party. This display was from my mother-in-law’s birthday party.  She is an avid gardener and it was so fun to use flower pots and mini gardening tools to liven up these simple cupcakes. I also used some fresh flowers to top the yummy brown sugar and pear cupcakes from Babycakes (another of my fave local spots).

image credit: dthoskins

Are you ready for Spring?

colored denim

Wintery greys are the perfect backdrop for a colored jeans.  This is a current favorite look that makes me feel seasonally appropriate in grey with a fun pop of color!  I’m currently loving wearing purple, royal blue and kelly green.  Try out other soft neutrals like cream and camel for a feminine contrast to dramatic colored denim.  I love camel with kelly green and cream with a bold pink.