Bopril

The Horses of Derby

The Hats of Derby

Weekends Rock, Especially This One

I have a soft spot for weekends. I know most people do, but my obsession grows constantly, a thirsty plant turned upward toward the rain-filled sky. I'd love to be one of those lucky people who lives with the same joy, same passion, same get-up-and-go every day, not live with one eye constantly trained on the sweet relief afforded by the weekend ahead. But the truth is, I am not. I am a weekend girl, through and through, and I love the arrival of Friday afternoon, the mix of lazy and productive and relaxation and togetherness that colors Saturday and Sunday, the wine infused dinners out and wine infused dinners in, the feeling of opening my eyes with no sense of urgency. No beeping alarm, no frantic rush, no go-go-go, just a steady progression of lovely. Winding through neighborhood streets sipping on Starbucks, nodding hello to neighbors, laughing at pups who lose their minds over squeaky orange balls in the park. Errands and shopping and flitting here and there. Seeing friends and sometimes just enjoying our own company. Popping the cork on wine bottles, firing up the grill or walking to a neighborhood spot for sushi, curling up on the couch or outdoor chair with our laptops or magazines or books. Talking and being quiet, running around and sitting still...the lullaby of weekends sing me through the craziest of weeks.

And while all weekends are greeted with joy and open arms around here, there are always a few that stand apart from the crowd. And one in particular that gives us enough joy to last several months each and every Spring.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The first weekend in May always brings us Derby, and we happily hunt down attire and hats, pack our things and head for Bluegrass. The energy of Churchill Downs on Derby Day (and even on The Oaks the day prior) is hard to express in words and photos. The entire place just vibrates with Southern pride and good times and family traditions and fierce fashion. 

And there is one moment toward the end of the day that really brings the entire experience full circle. A moment when final bets are placed and drinks are clutched and everyone piles into their boxes and spills over into aisles and walkways for a better view. When a hush falls over the crowd and the familiar strains of My Old Kentucky Home fill the air, every mouth singing along, almost every eye spilling over with tears, and a palpable rush fills the air for just a second.

A moment when horses load into starting gates far to our left, an announcer's voice readies the crowd for the best two minutes in sports, and a cheer takes the shape of a stadium wave and grows steadily through the throngs of people until it reaches where you stand and you scream your fool head off, completely lost in the magic of the world's finest animals. You yell for all of your furry friends, and you get emotional again and again thinking of just how hard those beautiful creatures run. How they give it their all, right to the finish.

And you snap photos and hug your family and give thanks for the millionth time that you're part of such an amazing, time honored tradition.

This year's Derby was good stuff. The Oaks the day before wasn't shabby either. And we had such fun.

Behold, photographic evidence:

Rocking PINK for the OAKS!

 

DERBY FUN:

Next up---separate posts honoring the hats and horses of Derby. Yes, they are fully worthy of their very own post.

Bright Outlook

I love when the calendar ahead of me is dotted with fun moments to look forward to. I get excited---downright giddy, even---and revel in the anticipation of what’s to come. It makes me want to always plan something, so that there is always something to grasp for, something on the horizon to work toward, to be crazy, kid-like excited for.

Right now, I am in luck, because my calendar is literally a beacon of excitement in the coming weeks. Tomorrow morning---bright, and early---I leave for CT to finally meet my new little niece in person, and then I plan to snuggle her within an inch of her little life for the rest of the weekend. I hope Rich and Ashley won’t notice that I’ve stolen their daughter. Or at least that they won’t mind loaning her out for a bit. I have big plans for the weekend, things like rocking and singing and holding and cooing and talking---lots of talking---to sweet Everly so she knows exactly who I am and exactly what role I plan to play in her world. It’s been awhile since I’ve gotten to enjoy a newborn baby, and I cannot WAIT to make up for lost time.

And, of course, I’ll be watching the Royal Wedding festivities. I know there are strongly divided camps on this topic, but I fall firmly in camp interested/enthralled, and will be tuning in as much as possible. I’ve long been a fan of William, and have thought Kate was just terrific for years. I love watching her style evolve, and can hardly wait to see what she chooses for her bridal moment. It’s sure to be a good time, and the American media is certainly not lacking for options through which to participate in the grand event.

And the following weekend brings an annual tradition of fun and Southern roots and family and all around general merriment. Naturally, I’m talking about the Derby. Having secured my attire for both events, I can now settle into the anticipation of reuniting with my family for one of our favorite weekends of the year. Next week, we’re Blue Grass bound, and it can’t come soon enough. I am pretty excited about my Derby hat this year---it’s pretty fabulous if I do say so myself---and thanks to my parents, I won’t be rocking a “DIY” creation which was my original plan. Considering my penchant for craftiness---and what I really mean is my LACK THEREOF---it could have turned out quite disastrously.

So, straight ahead then: babies and friends and family and fashion and horses and time honored tradition. The forecast predicts rain, but all I see is excitement for miles.

Could you die from sheer CUTE?

Remembering Derbys past, to get inspired for Derby future:

From Now On, I'm Ordering "the Lily"

So, we're back from the annual Derby festivities and have settled back into our routines of normalcy (meaning Hubby immediately hopped on another plane to the Big Apple for work and I'm home with the fur babes watching bad TV and devoting entirely too much time to the Internets).

The weekend was a blast as it is every year -- but this year it was a very WET blast -- my brother and I had been stalking the weather for weeks and had feared that this would be the year when we wouldn't escape Mother Nature's fury. We were right. 

We upped the ante and attended both The Oaks on Friday and the Derby on Saturday -- Friday was a perfectly gorgeous day - blue cloudless skies, near 80 degree temps, lovely mild breeze and even a sunburn to show for our troubles. The Oaks -- if you didn't know -- pays tribute to all things female. From the race lineup that strictly features Phillys to the yards of pink draped over anything that wouldn't collapse to the totally rad survivors parade where more than 100 cancer survivors took to the track and showed us all what it really looks like to win a race. A portion of all proceeds from the day benefited the Komen Foundation and a dollar from every "Lily" sold did the same. The Lily is the signature drink of The Oaks and also my new obsession. It is fabulous - look it up, learn how to make it and drink the hell out of it - as often as you can. Trust me on this.

The fashion, as always was my favorite part. For The Oaks, we saluted breast cancer survivors and rocked the pink:

And on Derby Day, our theme was green. Right down to the gigantic poncho I wore over my dress for much of the day. I just had to pick the year of monsoon rains to wear a SILK dress, didn't I? Still, we were spiffy, no?

 

And now for the requisite family shot that is sure to turn up in some shape, form or fashion on a 2010 holiday card (also: I'm dying to know what Dad is looking at - must have been very interesting):

 

I couldn't resist giving my new favorite iPhone app a workout too, and in doing so, I conjured Derby days from decades past:

 

 

 
In spite of the rain, the sun shone bright on My Old Kentucky home once more. And it was such fun.

Hat Tip

Lately, I can focus on nothing but craving warmer weather, fresh flowers, open windows and countless hours wiled away outdoors. Dog parks and bike rides and runs along the water -- pinot grigio and roof decks and reading under the sun -- well, you get the picture, yes?

And in our family, spring means one other thing -- event, really -- as well...DERBY!

We are already looking forward to our annual Brock family tradition in the blue grass state. And that means, of course, that I've been giving thought to my attire for the occasion. Because Derby? Is ALL about the hats. And let's be honest -- that is just plain fun.

The options are endless really...

You could opt for the classic Chanel (tres chic dahling):

Or perhaps the aptly named Southern Belle (insert batting eyelashes here):

Or a new spin on "The Rachel (oh, how I adore this one):"

And of course, you could always, always decide to just go all out:

It seems that I'm pulled by rich chocolately/coppery browns this year -- but time will tell. I can hardly wait to see what the ladies of Kentucky come up with this year.

Giddy up ya'll! 

   

Weekendings: A Kentucky Wedding

We're back from our Southern fried weekend and we had such fun. The scenery was extraordinary as anticipated, the company exceptional, the bride & groom gorgeous and special, the days not nearly long enough.

We danced and hugged and talked and drank wine. We walked and ran with the dogs, petted goats and oxen and horses and I took my usual motherload of photos.

Sadly, we did not do our holiday card picture taking as I'd planned. What can I say - good times got in the way and before we knew it, we were packing up the car to return home.

Here's a photographic recap for your viewing pleasure. If this merely tickles your curiosity, you can find much more here.

The entire weekend made me want to sing 'My Old Kentucky Home' at the top of my lungs. And also? It was a nice reminder that my family and friends and seriously ROCK THE HOUSE. I'd gladly take a do over - it was that much fun.

Becky and Adam - I wish you every joy on this magnificent journey we call marriage. You're perfectly suited for one another, and I'm thrilled you finally made it official. It was an honor to celebrate with you - XOXOXOXOXO

This was our "home" for the weekend:

 

The grounds were stunning. We walked them time and time again and captured images like these:

 

 

 

We hung out near old barns and played on retired carriages:

 

 

 

We attended a gorgeous rehearsal dinner on Friday night where we caught up with friends and had a grand 'ole time. The room was beautifully decorated by the groom's Mom and her aptly named "groom slaves:"

 

The menus featured an Autumn theme:

 

And everyone had a terrific time celebrating a terrific couple. I had many options to display the fun for you, but I thought this one was most fitting. I'm sure you'll agree:

 

You're welcome. We attended the beautiful wedding on Saturday night. It was so beautiful in fact that I forgot to take a single photo. I was too caught up in the moment, so you'll have to take my word for it: it was terrific. The bride wore a dress that's been in her family for generations and I loved everything about the colors and overall presentation: most especially the bridesmaids dresses. They were gorgeous: a grayish blue in varying styles that the ladies picked out themselves. Stunning.

The reception was held at a beautiful horse farm in an elaborate barn. God, I love Kentucky. I was much more focused on fun than photography, but I managed to snag a few shots. 

A shot of one of my favorite wedding moments, the father/daughter dance:

 

And of course, the Mother/Son dance too (with Dad looking on):

 

And because I really love dancing at weddings, here's one of the happy couple during their first dance as Mr and Mrs Bowling:

 

At the end of the night, they gathered with their pals from college for a fun-loving group shot:

 

 

The dance floor was seriously rockin' all night long:

 

It was marvelous and we loved every minute.

And you?