How Much Would You Pay for a Mint Julep?

In my town, Derby season is in full tilt, so every dress shop is featuring colorful prints with gorgeous hats; men’s stores are showcasing dapper suits with natty ties, nubuck shoes and lots of seersucker; restaurants are advertising boxed lunches for the big day; and images of roses are everywhere in honor of the Run for the Roses.

Of course, the official drink of the Kentucky Derby is the mint julep. My mother often says that a mint julep is a waste of good bourbon, but when “My Old Kentucky Home” is playing as the horses make their way to the post, well, a cold mint julep in the hand is a must. In fact, it's somewhat sacrilegious if you don’t have one. It’s like not wearing a hat to the Derby. It’s just not done, sugar.

So, I had to share the latest addition to this year’s Derby festivities: the $1,000 julep. For a mere $1,000, you can have a mint julep served in an exclusive Tiffany & Co. silver cup. It features Woodford Reserve bourbon, organic sugar from Brazil, mint from Louisville grown in a Woodford Reserve barrel, and ice from a 10,000-year-old glacier near the Gulf of Alaska. Sure, I’ll take two.

Proceeds from the special concoction benefit the Barnstable Brown Kentucky Diabetes and Obesity Center. So, you high-rollers out there, if you get a hankering for a good drink while at Churchill on May 1, consider one of these babies. Visit Woodford Reserve’s website for more details. But, if you can’t afford the julep, I highly recommend a visit to Kentucky’s Bourbon trail for a tour of Woodford Reserve. It sits amid the horse farms in Versailles, Ky. and is simply beautiful. And, before you leave, be sure to visit the gift shop to purchase a bottle of Woodford. Perfection.
Photo courtesy of The Courier-Journal

The Masters - Golf at its Best

The Mickelson family celebrate Phil's win of the 2010 Masters Golf Tournament.

Mickelson at the 18th hole at Augusta as the crowd goes wild.

Former Masters champion Angel Cabrera, left, of Argentina, presents the green jacket to Mickelson for his 2010 Masters win.

The Nelson Bridge near the 13th hole at Augusta, one of the most beautiful golf courses in the world.

If you tuned into The Masters this weekend, you were not disappointed. This was golf at its best. There were birdies, eagles - a plethora of winged animals taking flight. Fortunately, the circus surrounding one golfer, who also bears an animal name, calmed down as the week went on. The game of golf was finally the focus and the best came out to play, to the delight of those lucky enough to score tickets along the fairway.

Phil Mickelson, my fellow lefty, came from behind to win. And, to add to the drama of an incredible game, his wife, Amy, came to see him play on his final day. She's been battling breast cancer and has not been well enough to attend any of his tournaments over the last year. But, she was there on Sunday, along with their three children, crying tears of joy.

While also watching The Masters, I couldn't help thinking about how large their grounds-keeping staff must be. Good God, that place is immaculate! Love those azaleas!

Have a great week, everyone!
Photos courtesy of www.augusta.com

Unhappy Hipsters

Growing up Minimalist meant she was easily amused.

(Photo: Hertha Hurnaus; Dwell, July/August 2008)

Yesterday, I stumbled across the site Unhappy Hipsters. Not sure if I would classify it as a blog, satiric commentary, or what. All I know, is it makes me laugh. The droll, witty captions that accompany the imagery of über-modern hipsters and their families (see above) are fantastic. Remember “Mystery Science Theater 3000?” My college roommate and I used to laugh our arses off watching that show. This site is somewhat like that – sardonic statements about poseurs on the screen. Stop by for a look at something different and see if it produces a giggle or two.

Happy Friday, everyone! Hope you have a great weekend ahead of you. Little Man has his first soccer practice/game tomorrow. Hubby is the coach. I’m sure it will be like herding wet cats, but fun all the same. Cheers!
Photo and caption courtesy of unhappyhipsters.com

Basket Beauty

Okay, I admit that I’m shamelessly stealing, no borrowing, this topic from a piece that Haskell Harris of Garden & Gun recently posted online. Or perhaps I should say Haskell inspired me and therefore I must share her great find with the blog world at large. How’s that for a justification?

I have the beach on my mind because 1) it’s spring break and many folks have flocked south to certain beach locales; 2) my own beach vacation will be here in two short months. Given this, I’m thinking about what to take with me: accessories, bathing suits (gulp!), etc. Then I saw Haskell’s post featuring Medina Baskets and I fell in love.

Medina sells a variety of baskets, from home décor to bags for schlepping groceries and beach gear. They also have baskets that can serve as a great summer purse. I remember in high school (or was it college?) when French Basket purses were the rage. Did you have one? Anyhoo, Medina does. Another great thing about Medina Baskets? They are very reasonable in price. And for additional bonus points, this Virginia-based company supports fair-trade artisans.

Medina baskets make me want to venture to a farmer’s market right now! How chic would I look toting around my organic fruits and veggies in one of these baskets? Okay, reality check – one of these baskets may enhance my regular trips to Kroger for coffee, cereal and milk. :)
Images and "content inspiration" courtesy of Medina Baskets and Haskell Harris of Garden & Gun

Renovation Nation

Okay, so I’ve been quite the slacker in sharing the latest goings-on with the kitchen renovation, painting, etc. My apologies; life just seems to get in the way sometimes.

Here are photos of what the room looks like now that the walls are down and you can see into the den (click here for a before pics). We had hardwood placed in the kitchen and also covered our den paneling with dry wall. Prior to the painting, two of our walls were white, two were accented in red. Once the dry wall was complete, we painted the entire room a neutral color, “Bone White.” I’m now working with a fabulous designer and fellow Junior-Leaguer, Darcie, on picking fabrics for the window treatments – I’ve included images of the sample fabrics I’m considering.

In addition to the activity on the main level, we removed the Santa Fe-inspired wallpaper in the master bedroom upstairs (seriously, what were the previous owners thinking??) and painted the walls a grayish/blue. We then replaced the old, green carpet with a more neutral carpet and removed the God-awful window treatments, replacing them with plantation blinds. Our bedroom is much more the calming oasis it should be.

I am quite pleased with the progress we’ve made. We still need to figure out what to do with the countertops and the bare spot on the wall above the stove. That’s next on our list, although the tab is running up, kids, and we really need to watch our pennies. Maybe I’ll just create a mosaic out of broken pieces of china, glass and legos, stick it on the wall and call it a day. Whatchya think?

* Please excuse the disarray of the house in these photos. Art work needs to be hung on the walls and we're waiting on the arrival of our new sofa, so some things are still in flux.

Cheers to the Bulldogs

Fashion guru Carson Kressley performs cheer routines with the Butler Bulldog cheerleaders in downtown Indianapolis during the NCAA tournament. Now, that's not your typical sports photo, is it folks?

In March of 1992, I was a freshman in college. My wonderful school, the University of Kentucky, rallied to make a great comeback in college basketball with an amazing group of players (this was after a bout with a disgraceful coach who dragged our mighty program through the mud).

That year, UK made it to the Elite Eight to play that team from North Carolina who shall remain nameless. We were close to winning. It was a beautiful thing. My friends I were jumping up and down in front of the television. Then, that senior player with the foppy hair sunk a last-second shot and all was quiet. It sucked the air right out of the room. It was a devastating loss (And, CBS sports continues to show that shot in the opening credits for each game. Really, is that necessary?)

Well, that team won the NCAA title again last night. I was pulling so hard for their opponents, the Butler Bulldogs. One of my best friends from high school went to Butler. I have family in Indianapolis. It was like cheering for the home team. You so wanted these guys to pull off one of the greatest upsets of all time. And, they almost did. It would have been so poetic. Although, the fact that they made it to the championship game was poetic in itself.

Cheers to Butler. It was a great run, guys. You should take great pride in what you’ve accomplished. See you next year.
Image courtesy of indystar.com

The Return of Chocolate

I seriously need to throw a pair of these on and start running. The Easter candy has taken over my house and I have succumbed to its delicious decadence.

Yesterday morning I happily welcomed the return of chocolate to my life after the Lenten fast. But, I do not care for the residence it likes to take in my rear-end. So, I need step up my exercise routine, pronto.

Although, I have to say we timed the sugar high and crash with the kids very well, yesterday. We allowed them a few pieces of Easter candy in the morning, but I think they snuck a few pieces while we were getting ready for church. So, by the middle of 10 a.m. Mass, both kids were leaning on us in the pews with droopy eyes. Probably the best behaved they've been in church in a while. ;)
Image courtesy of Zappos