Weekend Roundup: Valentine’s Day in NuLu

One of my favorite parts about living in Louisville is all of the neighborhoods to explore. Each one has their own flavor and things they are known for, and one of the trendiest neighborhoods right now is NuLu. Even though I work adjacent to NuLu, it isn’t often that I have an excuse to make the trek downtown to enjoy the different restaurants and shops that take residence here. This made NuLu the perfect stop along our Valentine’s Day itinerary.

Our first stop of the evening was the Before I Die wall. This is a piece of community art sponsored by the local Speed Museum where people are encouraged to write the things they dream about doing in life. I’ve been wanting to write something on this wall since I moved to Louisville but never had a good excuse to stop by. Lucky for us, the Before I Die wall is right next to the restaurant where we were having dinner. Since the wall has been up since 2013, you can see it is really starting to fill up. Hopefully you can tell though that my addition to the wall is saying that I want to marry my Valentine. (Ugh, gag. It is Valentine’s Day after all.)

In the words of Ryan, “Never have I made a fatter face.” Sorry, babe. Sometimes you just got to do it for the Instagram.

Our second stop was at Decca. Right in the heart of NuLu, Decca has a cozy atmosphere that made it a perfect pick for Valentine’s Day. It’s known for its seasonally changing menu full of great entrees and even better cocktails. Ryan chose the rib eye and waysider while I had the lamb and little red dress, and there was plenty of sharing in between. Next time we go back, I want to check out Decca’s Cellar, which serves a full dinner menu and bar snacks and often has live music.

Although Ryan and I love trying new restaurants in Louisville, I still always have the Grinch in my head repeating, “but what will I wear?!” For Decca, I wore a simple black dress with scallop detail (almost identical) and followed this make-up tutorial for a Valentine’s Day eye using my Naked 3 and Too Faced Romantic Eye pallets.

We topped off the night sampling this tart, drinking this wine, and watching this movie.

How did you spend your Valentine’s Day weekend?

Cheers!

Sarah

Friday Favorites

I scored this cute valentine at the Louisville Papersource.

Check out this week’s roundup of things that we thought were a llama fun!

Inner WKU Spirit Growing up in Bowling Green, we both have a special place in our hearts for WKU.  After taking this silly quiz, we have determined that Laura is a White Squirrel, and Sarah is Big Red. So typical.

Athleisure With several trips coming up this spring, I’ve been on the hunt for a pair of cute sneaks. I loved the slip-on trend that popped up last year, but never really found a pair that I liked enough to buy. This year, it seems like they are everywhere. I’m especially loving these in rose gold with a lasercut pattern.

Getting Married Is Not An Accomplishment I have to admit that when I first saw this title, I thought to myself, “oh just another one of those articles telling me why/why not getting married is the right thing to do” *insert eye roll*. However, after reading it, Natalie Brooke presents a very valid point. So whether you’re celebrating this Valentine’s Day weekend with a significant other or not, remember that love is just one of many parts of a girl’s life to celebrate (and not always the most important).

I Just Want To Hang With My Dog  I love a good graphic tee for hanging out at home or running errands around town. Recently I stumbled across this one on Etsy. Not only does it speak the truth, but 20% of all profits are donated to animal shelters!

Decadent Valentine’s Day Treat I first tasted this brownie tart at a birthday celebration for a friend. His girlfriend (now wife) had made it for us all to share, and I immediately asked for the recipe and went out to buy a springform pan. Believe me when I say that this tart is decadent and that a little sliver will go a long way. I will definitely be sharing this treat with my Valentine this weekend.

Cheers!

Laura & Sarah

Planning for Spring in Kentucky

This past weekend, we enjoyed a girls’ weekend in Lexington. We saw Mama Mia at the Lexington Opera House and hit up a couple of my favorite restaurants – The Village Idiot and Windy Corner.

Stephanie, Sarah, and I before Mama Mia

Winter starts wearing on me, and I always get in a funk in February. Getting out of the house and laughing with friends always does the trick. This weekend was just what I needed to help combat the funk. I’ve found that I start planning fun weekend events and vacations for the warmer months around this time of year, so it gives me something to look forward to. Although I like extended vacations, research shows that having more smaller events to look forward to is more beneficial than one larger event, so I’ve compiled several events that are on my radar right here in Kentucky.

*Side note: Read this and replace “Mom” with “Laura,” and you have a legitimate one sided conversation I have with people when talking about Lexington (where I live now), Bowling Green (where my parents live), and Somerset (my husband’s hometown). I seriously believe what I say too!

Anyways, Lexington, which has often been overshadowed by Louisville, is becoming a hip and foodie destination in its own right. More entrepreneurs and business owners are changing the landscape of small towns throughout Kentucky for the better. There is definitely plenty to see, do, and eat these days in Kentucky!

March 31 – Old Crow Medicine Show Concert – A classic crowd-pleaser with a cult following. Scoring tickets may be difficult.

April 9 – Under the Streetlamp – This show features the past performers from Jersey Boys, which is one of my favorites! Guaranteed to hear some doo-wop and Motown favorites, and probably some coordinated foot action as well!

May 22 High Hope Steeplechase – I say I’m going to go to this every year, and something always comes up. I hope to make it this year!

June 1-12 Phantom of the Opera – Another great Broadway favorite! Sarah shared how she won free tickets to KyPAC in this post, so you Louisvillians may want to try it for yourself.

June 10-12 Lake Cumberland 360 – If you’re a fan of the lake during this summertime, this festival includes activities beyond the normal lake day. We’ve participated in the bike ride before.

June 11 Beer Cheese Festival – I’ve never been to this quirky festival before, but I’ve heard it’s a good time. What’s not to love about beer cheese?

July 8-9 Master Musicians Festival – This falls during the same month as Forecastle in Louisville, but I like this music festival so much more! It is laid back, lawn chair friendly, and normally has a good selection of food and drinks.

Do you have any plans for warmer months?

Cheers!

Laura

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, readers! We are so close to the weekend that we can taste it. As soon as work is over, I will be driving to Lexington to spend some quality time with the other half of Kindly Kentucky, Laura. But first, I have to share what got us through the week.

Valentine’s Card Ideas The best cards are homemade and include a pun. (Disclaimer: It is a family trait to love a good pun or a corny joke.) I plan to pull out my glitter and bright pink paper this weekend. Now, I just have to decide which ideas to use! – Laura

Support a Friend with Depression I’m glad that discussions about depression, anxiety, and more severe forms of mental illnesses are beginning to become less taboo. However, I think there is still a lot of work to be done in our communities regarding these issues. When someone is sick or disabled with a physical ailment, it feels much easier to know how to support them. I thought this short post shared some good starting points to help friends with depression. – Laura

Adnan’s Appeal If you were Serial-obsessed during Season 1, then you may already know that Adnan Syed began undergoing an appeal this week for retrial. One of the most interesting parts of the appeal is that Asia McClain (a.k.a. Adnan’s only alibi who withdrew her claims during the first trial) has taken the stand. You can follow along with the preceding in the news or on Twitter by following Rabia Chaudry (@rabiasquared), one of Adnan’s family friends who spoke on Serial. – Sarah

Soda and Lime One of my best friends has recently started a mini blog series as a way to journal her weight loss journey. With New Year’s Resolutions and Lent just around the corner, this blog couldn’t be better timed. If you need a reason for a good laugh, inspiration, and a chance to say “me too” at least 10 times while reading through her posts, check out S’s perspective on weight loss, fitness, and, of course, Hilary Duff. – Sarah

Cheers!

Laura & Sarah

Kentucky Running

I ran my first 5K when I was 17 and my first half marathon when I was 20. Since then, I’ve run a handful of 5 and 10K’s and one or two half marathons a year – nothing too crazy – and I certainly haven’t ventured into full marathon territory.

Around this time every year, I start slacking on my fitness. I’m over the cold temperatures and my new year’s resolutions have worn off. However, I usually try to combat this lack of motivation by signing up for an upcoming race since it essentially forces me to stay in shape. If you’re in the same rut, I recommend signing up for something like a race or an intramural event because it definitely makes you think twice before hitting snooze or driving past the gym on your way home from work.

I’ve listed my favorite Kentucky races, and I love them all for different reasons. If you’re looking for a running buddy or want to sign up for a race, let me know! It’s always better to have a friend there for motivation.

Favorite 5K Races:

November 24: The Great Turkey 5K, Bowling Green

November TBA: Girls on the Run 5K, Lexington

Favorite 10K Race:

October TBA: Medical Center 10K Classic, Bowling Green

Favorite Half Marathons:

April 2: Run the Bluegrass (shorter options available), Lexington

April 30: Derby Festival Mini-Marathon, Louisville

October 16: Iron Horse Half Marathon, Midway

Please excuse the blurry/poor-qualify of this photo. We’ll just pretend that I was running so fast at the end of the Iron Horse Half, it was hard to capture a good picture.

I’m ready to try some new races. Here are the ones on my radar for 2016!

April 16: (Un)Pleasant Hill Trail Runs, varying lengths, Shaker Village

August 13: Midsummer Nights Run 5K, Lexington

September 17: Railrunner 10 Miler, Nicholasville

Because that was a semi-boring post, I’ll share a humorous little backstory about my first half marathon…

Alex and I after our first half marathon. We ran the Kentucky Derby Mini-Marathon on the UK Dance Blue Team.

The race itself is only notable since it was my first one, and it had some big hills, which are no longer part of the course. However, the pre-race details stick out the most. For starters, neither Alex nor I were really familiar with Louisville at the time, so we stayed in a hotel on the outskirts of town. When we checked it, I was really excited to learn that the hotel had free (aka really cheap) drinks and appetizers. It was a month away from my 21st birthday, so I felt pretty fancy drinking a glass of the white zinfandel out of a plastic cup. Alex was already 21, and I think she was smart enough to not partake. After our wine and cheese, we lounged by the hotel pool with the sound of interstate traffic drowning out our gossipy conversation. The hotel’s policy was that an employee had supervise the pool area whenever it was occupied. Since it was late April, we weren’t in our bathing suits and weren’t even thinking of getting in the pool. Nevertheless, a pimply teenage employee sat out there to monitor us until we left to carb-load at a pasta dinner. While the evening wasn’t too crazy, I laugh every time I think about how slick I thought I was drinking cheap wine. If I drank that now on a night before running, I would probably be seriously sick during the race. Oh, to have the liver of a college student…

Since this was my first half marathon, I took training really seriously. I followed one of the training plans from Hal Higdon, and I found it to be a really great starting place. Now, I’m lucky if I get two or three 10+ mile runs in before I run a race. I just try to consistently run about five days a week in the months preceding the race.

Cheers and happy running!

Laura

Suit Alternatives

There are very few articles of clothing I dislike more than the business suit. I believe this hatred started in college when I was in an organization that occasionally required that we wear matching suits. Although I appreciated the formality and etiquette of the outfit, I always ended up feeling more like a high schooler in FBLA than a young professional. Even though I now own a navy skirt and blazer that is more structured and fitted (thanks, Banana Republic!), I still just don’t feel like myself when I put it on. This means I’m occasionally faced with a challenge, and one I’m guessing many of you all face too. What is appropriate to wear whenever faced with a formal professional event, but you just can’t bring yourself to squeeze into that suit like a Hillary Clinton-wannabe one more time?

I present to you my “suit alternatives.” These would be my go-to choices anytime I have a more formal day at work. Even though many traditional or corporate environments still like to see suits during interviews, I think these could even work for interviews if you work in a less traditional environment, such as a start-up or PR.

Pictured here as part of a casual outfit, imagine this tweed jacket over your favorite silky top and a pair of patterned pants. Give me a blazer-like jacket with a touch of fringe, and I’m sold.

I’m into the midi trend these days, and I think the modest length of this dress is perfect to flaunt at the office. Plus, at $70 it’s a major steal from Zara.

Who said matchy-matchy had to just be for suits? You could easily throw on a blazer over the peplum top to make it even more formal if needed.

How do you dress up for work?

Cheers!

Sarah