Logan's of Lexington Holiday Gift Guide

Have y’all been to the new Logan’s of Lexington in Lexington Green?

Of course, longtime Lexingtonians know that Logan’s is the best place for men’s suiting. It’s also a great place for preppy gifts for everyone on your holiday list! I’ve teamed up with Logan’s to show y’all some of my very favorite gift ideas. There’s something for your husband, dad, son — and maybe even yourself! The best part? Use code HERKENTUCKY on your online order, and you’ll get 20% off! (This includes Barbour, y’all! I’m pretty excited!)

Clockwise from top left: True Grit Half Zip | Vineyard Vines Basketball Tee | Barbour Scarf | Barbour Fair Isle Sweater | Vineyard Vines Kentucky Tee | Smathers & Branson Kroger Field Needlepoint Wallet | Smathers & Branson Rupp Arena Wallet | Smathers & Branson UK Cufflinks | Barbour Bedale Jacket | SEC Baseball Cap | Barbour Flask

I’ve picked out some great pieces that I know HerKentucky readers will love — needlepoint, UK, Barbour, Vineyard Vines, and more! My personal favorite is this True Grit pullover. I wore it to the UK football game on Saturday, and it was so snuggly and warm! Y’all will love it!

The 20% off code lasts through the end of November and is online only. Happy shopping, y’all!

{Thanks so much to Logan’s for sponsoring this post and extending this discount to HerKentucky readers! All opinions are my own!}

Tips & Tricks for Shopping the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale

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I'm sure you've heard by now that the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale starts tomorrow morning, September 10th, at 8 a.m. I always at least browse (okay, I stock up...) this sale, and I've developed a few pro tips to help you navigate it quickly and efficiently.

1. Log on early... and prepare to wait. Have a browser window open to lillypulitzer.com by 7 am, and be prepared to be placed in a long online queue once the sale goes live around 8. 

2. Know what you want to shop. I usually formulate a list of the searches I'm going to conduct, based on my tried and true favorite styles. I usually search for the Skipper Popover, the Elsa Blouse, the Sophie Dress (my mom's favorite style!) and for "maxi", to get results for both maxi dresses and maxi skirts. This year, I'm adding the search for "luxletic", which is Lilly's amazing athleisure line. I hope to score a Skipper popover (Fingers crossed they add the popover dress to the sale!) and some Luxletic leggings.

Skipper Popover

Elsa Top

Luxletic

3. Place a couple of smaller orders rather than one large haul. This will ensure that you don't "lose" as many items in your cart to faster shoppers. 

Wish List

4. Run a filter for your size. See what's available to fit you. After I look for myself, I run quick searches for my mom's sizes and my little nieces. (We take Lilly pretty seriously in my family!)

L.L. Bean Warranty Changes

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It's no secret that I love L.L. Bean. In fact, if y'all have followed along with this blog over the years, you've probably heard me sing the praises of L.L. Bean's famous Boat & Tote Bags and Bean Boots. I also really love their pajamas and house shoes. And their sweaters last forever... Well, you get the idea.

When your BFF is super-glam and your style is more low-key, this is how presents are mailed....

L.L. Bean products do seem to last forever. In fact, the company's eponymous founder is known for saying in the first L.L. Bean circular that "No sale is really complete until the product is worn out, and the customer is satisfied. We will thank anyone to return goods that are not perfectly satisfactory...Above all things we wish to avoid having a dissatisfied customer." That was in 1912. Those of us who love L.L. Bean have, over the past 106 years, grown accustomed to the company's lifetime replacement policy. Then, Friday morning, this email arrived.

There's always one or two jerks who have to ruin everything, right? I mean, WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE BUYING STUFF AT YARD SALES AND CLAIMING A WARRANTY RETURN? I've bought some vintage Bean sweaters on eBay, but I buy them to wear. Because, again, Bean sweaters last forever. And, because their quality doesn't end because the original owners were tired of them. And, because the original marketing statement made by Mr. Bean was built on the idea that customers were honest and not jerks.

eBay L.L. Bean finds.

For me, the rule of returns is "does the reason for the return constitute my misuse/overuse or a manufacturer flaw?" I've worn my sweater fleece pullover at least twice a week for two years, so it's no wonder that the hem of the cuff is starting to fray. That needs a few stitches, not a replacement. And I live in my slippers -- of course they're looking a little rough on their third winter. Those are on me, not the company. On the other hand, when I didn't care for the way a monogram showed up on a pair of pajamas, I did return them for a monogram in a different thread. I actually felt guilty doing this, as it was custom monogrammed, but it was a pair of new and unworn pajamas. I guess I'm the opposite of this guy.  

I love this sweater fleece. After 2 years, the hem is a little frayed; I plan to mend it!

How about y'all? What do you think is an "appropriate reason" to return a product?

Shop my L.L. Bean favorites below. I promise you probably won't have to send them back, anyway!

What to Buy on the L.L. Bean Winter Sale!

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I love L.L. Bean, especially in the winter. Their footwear, flannel, and pajamas really are the best I've found.  And, through tomorrow (Thursday the 4th), L. L. Bean has an additional 25% off all sale prices! I love this sale because there are so many things that you can use right now! Here are my picks for stocking up!

Slippers and House Shoes

Bean's slippers are the absolute best. I got Bob a pair of the flannel-lined leather slippers for Christmas; they've been the perfect thing for this cold weather snap! I've had my Wicked Good Camp Moccasins for a couple of winters now -- it might be time to stock up on a new pair!

Tote Bags

I love the open-top Boat & Tote for carrying odd- or over-sized items, or for daily errands. Order one to keep in your car. Trust me, it will cut the time you spend toting groceries/ Target run purchases in half! The Large bag in Mulberry is under $30!

Tees and Tanks

I LOVE the Unshrinkable Layering Tank. I have this in white and grey, and I wear it under everything from sundresses to sweaters. You can always use a few more plain tees to wear under sweaters and sweatshirts!

This sale is great, and it's made even better by Bean's free shipping! Let me know if you find any good deals - but don't forget it ends soon!

How I Shop the January 2017 Lilly Pulitzer After-Party Sale!

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I'm sure that most of y'all know that the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale starts Wednesday morning, January 3rd. If you frequent fashion blogs, especially those with a preppy twist, then you've seen the basic tips, and you know to have your login and payment info ready. But, I have a few of my own tried-and-true after-party sale tricks to help you get exactly what you want in a hurry!

1. Visit the Palm!
This year, Lilly stores are getting a head start on the sale fun. You can shop the sale starting tomorrow, Tuesday the 2nd, as soon as your store opens! In Louisville and Lexington, we have the Peppermint Palm; both locations are filled with a great selection and the absolute friendliest sales staff! 

2. Search by Style

The first thing I do when I get into the Lilly Sale is to search by style. For me, there are two Lilly pieces that always fit perfectly, hold up well, and generally work for my life. I start any Lilly sale by searching for those pieces: The Elsa Top and the Skipper Popover.

The Elsa Top

This is always the first thing I search for when buying Lilly. It's a silk blouse that can work with anything from jeans and shorts to skirts and tailored trousers. It often runs a little large, so I have a two-size range in this style. It's a popular style, and it goes quickly, so I search for Elsa tops, determine if there's one in my size (or my mom's) that I want, and make my first purchase.

The Skipper Popover

After I've assessed the Elsa situation, I move on to searching for Skipper Popovers. This is like a dressy, French Terry sweatshirt. There are a few variants on that style now, so "popover" is probably a better search term than "Skipper." Either way, this is my second favorite search, because I wear these tops year-round. I look for my size (and, again, my mom's!); I like to buy these so that they're a little large.

3. Search by Print

After I've looked for my favorite pieces, I search by print. If there was an absolute favorite print that I loved in the previous few months, I'll scan the sale for it. For example, during the January 2017 After-Party Sale, I looked for Psychedelic Sunshine, a print from August/ September 2016. I usually don't like to buy more than one piece in a particular print, but this one is so special that I wound up getting an Elsa and a midi skirt (I'd bought the Sophie dress when it was new in the stores!)

4. Shop by Size

After these searches, I finally search by size. I look for my size in tops, dresses, and skirts. I check what's available for my mom, and for my little nieces. And, I try not to buy more than we all need! 

I bought my niece's first Lilly dress on the August 2015 After-Party sale!

5. Check Back In!

Because it is so hard to get online at the stroke of 8 on Wednesday morning, the Lilly Pulitzer crew has really gotten smart about pacing the sale. New styles will come on the site as the sale progresses. This year, they've announced that the sale will last three days rather than two. I promise, if y'all want to shop, you'll be able to!

Good Luck, and let me know what y'all find! How do you shop the After-Party Sale?

Vineyard Vines Christmas Mugs

(This post contains affiliate links.)

Y'all, we're entering the dangerous holiday territory where I want to order something cute for myself with every present I purchase. Now, I promised myself I'd be good for the rest of the season and try to remember the spirit of holiday giving. But then I saw that Vineyard Vines and Stoneware & Company (formerly Louisville Stoneware) have paired up to make Christmas Whale Mugs! This is so awesome, y'all. I've been collecting Stoneware for nearly 20 years, and I absolutely love their mugs. My Pappy & Co and Derby Whale mugs are my absolute favorite coffee mugs... and I *may* have a few more Stoneware mugs. These are such a perfect size and weight. And, I probably do need one... And so do you!

The HerKentucky Guide to L.L. Bean Boat & Tote Bags

LL Bean Open-Top Boat and Tote Bag | LL Bean Zip-Top Boat and Tote Bags | LL Bean Leather Handle Boat and Tote Bag | LL Bean Boots | Hunter Tall Gloss Boots | Draper James Go Y'all Pin |  Lilly Pulitzer Large Agenda

(This post contains affiliate links. HerKentucky LLC receives a nominal commission on any affiliate link clicked by a reader. As always, all opinions are my own and I thank all partners that help HerKentucky.com stay in operation!)

When the holidays roll around, my biggest worry is always packing. I don't pack lightly, and I always need another bag. L.L. Bean Boat and Tote bags are the bags I grab again and again for everyday travel. They're durable, have classic styling, and they can be ordered with a monogram! Here's a handy guide for which L.L. Bean bag to use in any situation! 

I am obsessed with the Leather-Handled Boat & Tote for use as a casual purse/ work bag. It easily holds a laptop and an agenda or notebook. It's so perfect for on-the-go work or everyday errands.

 LL Bean Leather Handle Boat and Tote Bag |  Lilly Pulitzer Large Agenda

The Medium Zip-Top Boat and Tote is great for carrying a hostess gift, the dogs' leashes and gear, or a change of clothes. 

 LL Bean Zip-Top Boat and Tote Bag

The Large Zip-Top Bags are ESSENTIAL, y'all. These actually slide in under the carry-on restrictions for most airlines. And they hold everything. They're perfect for a day or two of clothing change/ basic toiletries. Be sure to go with the long handles so you can carry these on your shoulder!

 LL Bean Zip-Top Boat and Tote Bags | Draper James Lexington Leather Pin

The Large Open-Top Bag is FANTASTIC for oversized gear. I also love it for carrying bagged groceries in from the car!

LL Bean Open-Top Boat and Tote Bag | Draper James Go Y'all Pin |  Barbour Beadnell | Elva Fields Friendship Pins

Happy Traveling, y'all! Don't forget that all L.L. Bean is 25% off through tomorrow!