Although the Kentucky Derby, held each year at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May, gets most of the attention from thoroughbred racing fans, the track’s fall meet is definitely a Derby City gem. The meet opened this Sunday, Oct. 28 and will run each day except Mondays and Tuesdays through Sunday, Nov. 25. Louisville home owners love to check out the races during this fall ritual and find it to be a festive way to get into the party mood before the arrival of the holidays.
Although there isn’t as much daylight in the evenings during the fall meet like there is in the spring, the Downs offers a number of fun attractions in addition to racing that draw the crowds. Happy Hours run each Friday during the meet from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Paddock. In addition to discounts on drinks, various featured entertainers perform, and the admission is only $3. Also, each Sunday during the meeting is a Family Fun Day sponsored by Kroger. From 11:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. on the Paddock...
Moving into a new neighborhood comes with all sorts of firsts; you’re first dinner party, first round of the holiday season, and the unfortunate first big appliance melt down. Sometimes, the firsts can be a bit more serious and can cause you to question whether or not you made the right decision in buying the house in the first place.
Last night while playing with my son in the back yard I was suddenly disarmed by a noisy low lying helicopter over my head. I headed to the front porch to get a better view when I ran into my next door neighbor who had some shocking news. Just two blocks over, the police were on the scene of, what was thought to be a crime early in the investigation, where two bodies were...
Last week I ventured out on the town on a weeknight, which is a rare occasion for me. My sister-in-law is a new mom and was in desperate need for some time away. Last Thursday night, after about an hour of some skillful convincing on my part, I persuaded her to join me for a drink at the bar of her choice. In my opinion, it’s important for every mom to get out every once in a while for some girl talk that has nothing to do with the kids. Once I rescued my sister-in-law from her diaper and bottle filled cave, we headed to Oshea’s Irish Pub on Bardstown Road in the Highlands to take advantage of their outdoor patio.
It was 9:30pm at Oshea’s and the patio was about half full. We took a...
I wouldn’t consider myself a “Susie Homemaker” although other people have referred to me as her. I just take pride in my home and feel the more comfortable my home feels the happier I am living in it. Before I bought the home I am currently living in I used to love watching home decorating shows and flipping through high end interior designer magazines to get ideas on how I would style each room in my house. The reality hit me when we moved into our “dream home” with two young children that not only were most of the design choices unrealistic for our family, but also unrealistic for our budget. I wasn’t ready to give up my dreams on a beautiful house, so I have been on a mission since I moved in to find cheaper ways to get the same looks for less.
This designing on a budget and do it yourself trend is huge right now, creating many opportunities for people like me to make their beautiful homes on the cheap a reality. What I have learned so far is that there...
With Halloween just days away, folks are gearing up for the special holiday by stocking up on candy for trick-or-treaters, putting the final touches on their costumes, and finally cutting into their pumpkins transforming them in to Jack-o-lanterns. Halloween time is in full swing and the excitement can be felt everywhere you turn. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. A celebration that is inclusive of everyone, regardless of religion or economic standing, Halloween has become a day celebrating imagination, fun, and allowing yourself to splurge a little on goodies.
Although the most popular way of celebrating the modern day Halloween holiday is how I previously discussed it, but we sometimes forget the dark routes that Halloween is engrained. Halloween dates back to an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain, which was a festival marking the end of the harvest and the beginning of the extremely cold and deadly Winter. It was believed that during the festival, the dead would return to...
“Hear ye hear ye may I have your attention please.” If you’re looking for something unique to do this weekend I have the perfect event for you. St. Matthews’ Historic Locust Grove is hosting an 18th Century Market Fair to feed all your American culture history needs. The Market Fair will give both adults and children an amusing look back at a time in American life when jugglers and traditional sea songs were the days entertainment, candle making was a top job, and military battles were complex and hand to hand. This weekend’s event will give visitors a chance to see what life in the 18th century would be like from many different standpoints.
The 18th Century Market Fair will take place at historic Locust Grove Saturday October 27th and Sunday October 28th. Locust Grove is a National Historic Landmark located just outside the Indian Hills neighborhood. Locust Grove was established in 1790, and was home to the founder of Louisville, George Rogers Clark. The Georgian...
Every woman has her fantasy. Whether they are fantasies of grandeur, fame, or wealth, out-of-body fantasies allowing you to act as someone else, or simpler fantasies of success, happiness, or family, fantasy plays a vital role in our lives as women. Today, women do it all. We take care of the kids, maintain a full time job, manage the house, groceries, dog, birthday parties, and the PTA. It’s a wonder we have time to wash our hair let alone think of ourselves for enough time to fantasize about what we desire. Whether we realize it or not, there is one sacred woman act that allows us to delve into our fantasies and set us up for success. It is the few minutes that we have to ourselves in the morning, when we can close the door to the bathroom and be alone with our reflection in the mirror. Putting on whatever make-up that we do, allows ourselves to check-out from the real world for a brief moment. While we put on our mascara and eyeliner, we embrace Audrey Hepburn. We roll the lipstick over our lips,...
When I think of Halloween the first few things that pop into my mind are the ridiculous costumes, trick-or-treating, and the frightening haunted houses. Halloween, although originally based on death and things far too mature for children, is a modern holiday built for kids. All about candy, dressing up, and imagination, Halloween today is far from the original All Hallows’ Eve that it began as.
Halloween time or not, Louisville has plenty of haunted stories and urban legends, keeping it’s residents busy searching for answers year round. While out the other night I spotted a man with a t-shirt with the words “The Goatman Lives” written on it. Unsure of what that meant I went over...
Halloween is right around the corner and signs of Autumn are popping up more and more with each passing day. Louisvillians will soon be visiting their chosen pumpkin patches and family farms to partake in their favorite Fall customs and stock up on seasonal necessities. Nothing beats riding on the back of a tractor on your way out to the pumpkin patch while drinking a hot apple cider. The taste of hot apples, cinnamon, and spices makes the way out to search through those sticky vines to find the perfect carving pumpkin that much more special.
One of the nice things about the Fall season in Louisville is that you don’t have to live in the Country to experience all that rural Kentucky has to offer. Within a half an hour there are several farms that convert themselves into seasonal destinations. Most of these farms include a pumpkin patch as their number one draw, but many are now offering a wide range of events, children’s activities, and food...
This morning while I was sitting on my front porch, cup of coffee in hand, my robe still on, and the cool fall morning breeze on my face, I was wracking my brain thinking about what I wanted to write for today’s blog. Admittedly still half asleep from my long night the night before, I found myself getting lost in the sunrise reflecting on the large golden leaves of the tree in my front yard. They were green only yesterday. I continued to study the neighborhood only to realize that all the trees are changing. Reds, oranges, and yellows are taking over the street, and I am stunned that I am just realizing that Autumn is here.
The past few mornings and evenings I have been living on my front porch. Coffee in the morning is a time to gather my thoughts, say hello to the neighbors and guarantee a nice beginning to my day. Last night I brought a blanket, book, and bottle of wine to accompany be in my big comfy chair and sat by candlelight for hours, reading...
