A HOLIDAY SOIREE WITH THE BLUEGRASS BLOGGERS

When Nathan and I moved to Lexington 10 months ago, we didn’t know anyone. We were a newly engaged couple, with a cute little pup, trying to create a life together after having a long-distance relationship for two years! We both were excited to move to a new place, and had heard that the small city, hometown feel of Lexington would be welcoming but I will admit, it was still a little daunting not knowing a single person. Launching our blog just 8 short months after moving has not only provided a creative outlet for me personally, but has also allowed me to meet some really amazing woman and start forming meaningful connections with other bloggers who are chasing after similar goals. So when the opportunity arose to have a Holiday Soiree with 14 other bloggers from the beautiful bluegrass state, I jumped at the chance.

On December 8th, we met a Jeptha Creed, a beautiful distillery in Shelbyville, KY about 20 minutes outside of Louisville. They have an absolutely gorgeous building that is both impressively large and eye-catching with it’s red color and A-Frame design. Jeptha is owned and operated by a mother-daughter duo, who are committed to honoring their family heritage by following a ground to glass concept in which they strive to produce all the ingredients they use in their spirits. Jeptha not only has a strong bond to supporting local agriculture, they also have a powerful mission statement:

“ For us, the Creed in Jeptha Creed is simple: we are a family who believes in creating more than just great spirits, great food and a great time – we are creating an experience for our customers unlike any other.We’re all about honoring traditions and our heritage because, let’s face it, a lot of things were simpler back then. We love cutting through the chaos of today and going back to our roots. But we’re also driven, creative and more than just a little rebellious, and that means we love the idea of bringing back old fashion in new and exciting ways.

That Creed is our bond with our customers, and we live it every single day. We know better than anyone that you gotta raise a little hell to get a bit of heaven.”

That last line just FEELS like Kentucky, doesn’t it?! Jeptha Creed also has a beautiful interior space. We help our event in their warm and cozy bar area, but they also have a large, open space complete with a grand stone fireplace adjacent to the bar that would be perfect for a work event, party, or bridal/baby shower. And hey, if you are still looking for something to do on New Years, they are hosting a New Years Eve party complete with hors d'oeuvres, live band, and of course BOURBON!

For our event, everyone was asked to contribute something to make it FABULOUS! And thats the great thing about my new-found blogger fam, they sure do not disappoint when it comes to putting together a PARTY! My friend Maya from Pugs and Paprika made these delicious Parmesan Sausage Cups, Whitney of Fabulous in Fayette made a savory Sriracha Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons, and my foodie friend Leela from Lex Eats made these perfectly soft and chewy White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies….of which I ate about 5 haha. I also made a Crescent Wrapped Brie with Fig Jam that was a big hit and looked super festive! Not only was the food amazing, but the holiday decor and other festive elements really brought this entire event together beautifully! Porscha of Mommy and Ministry brought her infamous Bar Cart and Lindsay from Bourbon & Lipstick pulled out an endless amount of holiday decorations from her bag haha!

You can’t forget about the awesome swag bags that Tif from Bright on a Budget and Nicole of What Nicole Wore help to put together! I made these Pine Wreath Gift Tags for the bags, and they turned out so cute! Special thanks to Barrel Down South , Mirabelle Creations , Work the Metal and Drake’s for providing the items for the goodie bags!

Photography by Jen Folio

Our event was held at Jeptha Creed Distillery in Shelbyville, KY. Thank you to Jeptha Creed for graciously hosting us!

Special thanks to all the vendors who contributed to making our event beautiful : Hillenmeyer Christmas Shop , Mirabelle Creations , Lexington Lettering , and Whole Foods-Lexington .

Visit these other Kentucky bloggers for more details on our Holiday Soiree!

Tif Fanin | Bright on a Budget

Abbie Chambers | @absofab

Nicole Green | What Nicole Wore

Whitney Scheibel | Fabulous in Fayette

Ryann Brown | Styled in Blue

Anna Kate Goshko | Project Stepmom

Emily Gahafer | Emily Inspired KY

Maya Griffin | Pugs and Paprika

Lindsay Latimer | Bourbon, Lipstick, and Stilletos

Courtney Hastings | Kentucky Girl Ramblings

Jenny Hansen Lane | Jen Folio Photography

Leela Foley | Lex Eats

Porscha Coney | Mommy and Ministry

5 EASY WAYS TO COZY YOUR HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Once the leaves start changing colors and the air turns cool and crisp, you know the holiday season is right around the corner and if you’re anything like me, you look forward each year to getting your home cozy for the winter season. There’s just something about the twinkling lights, the cozy textures, and the faint smell of pine that is magical! Whether you are hosting out of town guests or just spending time together as a family, I’ve got some simple, budget-friendly ideas that can transform your home into a festive gathering place for all to enjoy. Today, I have teamed up with SugarBoo & Co. to share 5 easy ways to cozy your home for the holidays. Seasons Greetings!

1. Throw Pillows and Cozy Blankets

Switch out your lightweight cotton throw blankets and pillows for more wintery textures like chunky knits, faux fur, velvet and patterns like plaid. Adding accent pieces like a plaid throw to your sofa, or incorporating soft, plush pillows is an easy way to create warmth without much effort. Plus, who doesn’t enjoy snuggling up with a soft blanket or faux fur pillows?! I also like to display spare blankets and pillows in a woven basket for easy storage and access for guests to grab as needed.

2. Bring Nature Indoors

One of my favorite budget friendly ways to add festive touches to a space is greenery! Simply go outside and collect your favorite wintery elements like curling branches, fallen pieces of wood, and all different hues of different pine and greens. If thats not an option for you, you can easily find reasonably priced greenery at grocery stores like Trader Joes or Whole Foods, as well as local nurseries. The good thing about greenery is that it is long lasting, especially if you make an arrangement where you can add water, and super low maintenance. Another favorite trick is to invest in a good faux boxwood or evergreen wreath! This is a great investment piece because you can display it all year long, and just add simple touches to transition it from season to season! For the holidays, I like to add pretty ribbon and hang over artwork, or use as a table centerpiece around a large pillar candle.

3. Create Ambience

Placing scented candles around your home is a classic and affordable way to create ambience in your home. I switch out my candles with the changing seasons, but in my opinion they bring an extra sense of coziness during the winter season. I like to use them as accent pieces around the home, or stack on a tray as a centerpiece display. Select a fragrance that reminds you of the holiday season such as pumpkin spice, balsam pine, or a classic warm scent like sandalwood. Plus candles stored in pretty canisters double as decorative pieces as well!

4. Mix Metallics

Throw out the notion that all your metals need to match because this holiday season its all about mixing your metallics! Mixing metals adds a timeless elegance to your space, and using accent pieces like mercury glass candle holders adds a warm, festive touch for the holidays. Mixed metal items are another example of investment pieces that can transition from season to season. Simply add candles, decorative greenery, or cute garland and you can instantly transform these pieces into holiday-ready decor!

5. Center of Attention

The holiday season is the perfect occasion to get a little fancy and add some glitz and glamour to your home! Ornaments aren’t just for the tree, think outside the box! One of my favorite budget-friendly tricks is to nestle beautiful ornaments or oversized string beads in a decorative glass bowl to make a statement centerpiece. Or display some of your favorite ornaments nestled on a bookshelf or on a coffee-table tray for all to enjoy!

I hope you all enjoyed my 5 ways to cozy your home for the holidays, and hopefully it inspired you to think of creative, inexpensive ways to add festive touches to your holiday decor! What are some of your favorite ways to cozy up your home? I’d love to know in the comments below! As always, thank you for reading and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

XX-SAM and NATE