Heather C. Watson 1/3/18 Heather C. Watson 1/3/18

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

Classic, preppy staples on the January 2018 LL 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!

Heather C. Watson 4/28/17 Heather C. Watson 4/28/17

Why Do We Wear Hats to the Kentucky Derby?

Did you ever wonder why we wear elaborate hats to the Kentucky Derby? Well, the history of the Kentucky Derby goes back to the Derby Stakes in Britain, known here in the States as the Epsom Derby. The Epsom Derby was first run in 1780 and is the highest-purse horse race in Britain.

In 1873, Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. visited Europe, taking in the Epsom Derby and the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp. He returned home to Louisville and organized the race now known as the Kentucky Derby, looking toward these races for inspiration for track design, race length and other details. When the Kentucky Derby began in 1875, Kentucky ladies wore their finest to the races, just as their British counterparts did. Of course, in those days, finery included a chapeau, and the tradition stuck.

Kentucky Derby 1938. via The Huffington Post. — Kentucky Derby 1938. via The Huffington Post.

These days, a Derby Hat is the first thing most ladies look for when they make place for the big race. Kate Welsh, co-owner of The Hat Girls, the Official Hat Designers of the Kentucky Derby Festival, says "Sixty percent of our business is custom work, which wasn’t in our original business plan. We find that, typically, a lady wants to pick out her clothes around the hat. Others want a custom design made from dresses they’ve already picked out."

Of course, there's a fine line between a dramatic hat and one that's too comfortable for race day wear. Kate Welsh says "We’re very honest with customers about what works for them. People try the hats on, and they don’t always realize that an adjustable hat brim only helps them so much. As designers, we try to limit how many feathers or sequins we add to the hat so thatit’s not sagging down into the customer’s face."

Rachel Bell, Ms. Welsh's Hat Girls partner, notes that their designs do strike a balance between practicality and flair. "But, at the same time, the hat usually is the focal point of the outfit."

Kate Walsh of The Hat Girls shows a hat that was custom-made to match a client's Derby Dress.

Whether your preferred look is a practical fascinator or a show-stopping chapeau, you can thank the Derby's English roots -- and especially Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr's trip to Epsom -- for the tradition of Kentucky Derby Hats.

Want to learn more about the Kentucky Derby's history? Download The Kentucky Derby by Bill Doolittle, now in eBook format, on Amazon or iBooks.

Heather C. Watson 4/8/17 Heather C. Watson 4/8/17

Kentucky Derby Festival Princesses and the Fillies Ball

Today, I had the opportunity to meet the 2017 Kentucky Derby Festival Princesses. The Derby Princesses are a group of 5 college-aged women selected annually to reign over the Derby and the Derby Festival proceedings.

Me with the 2016 Kentucky Derby Festival Princesses

Tonight, one of the Derby Festival Princesses will be named Derby Festival Queen at the annual Fillies Ball. The Fillies, Inc., is a women's club founded in 1959 to further the mission of the Derby Festival Committee. All proceeds from the Fillies Ball will be donated to the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation, which provides scholarships and grants throughout the community.

To read a first-hand account of a Derby Festival Princess's schedule, check out this post that fashion blogger Grace Wainwright of A Southern Drawl wrote for HerKentucky about her year on the Derby Festival Court.

Heather C. Watson 3/15/16 Heather C. Watson 3/15/16

Louisville Stoneware Bachelor Button

The venerable blue and white Stoneware pattern has appointed homes for decades!

I think it's safe to say that I probably don't have a lot in common with Mamie Eisenhower.

But, it turns out that Mamie and I share an everyday china pattern, Louisville Stoneware's Bachelor Button. Well, I use it now, and Mrs. Eisenhower used it in the White House in the 1950s, back when the Derby City's venerable pottery house was still known by the name of a previous owner -- John B Taylor -- and the pattern was called Cornflower. There's something pretty fascinating about a pattern that is as fun and timeless now as it was in the Eisenhower era.

The Bachelor Button pattern, created by artist Edith Ellis, is the quintessential Louisville Stoneware pattern. It's a favorite for Louisville brides, and always makes a perfect present. It's clean, simple, and elegant. And you never have to worry that your pattern will be discontinued.