Celebrating #PaducahProud for my blogiversary

Photo Credit: autumn_boh via Compfight cc

When I launched bluegrass redhead two years ago, I knew writing about my small town life in Paducah, Kentucky, would be a huge part of the blog. We gave up so much six years ago to leave our life in Washington, D.C., and move back to my hometown. Since that time, my passion for Paducah has never wavered. 

I knew Paducah was something special, but it was always hard to explain to other people. Maybe I only loved Paducah because she was my home?

Since moving home, however, I have watched Paducah change and grow and I am now confident proclaiming.

Y'all, Paducah is having a MOMENT.

The next generation of Paducahans are staking their claim and transforming our town and it is a sight to behold. Andy Carloss moved home and opened Midtown Market. Sara Falder transformed floral with Flower + Furbish. Erin Hendley opened f.a.c.e. Makeup Aristry. Paducah's music scene built with the hard work of Solid Rock'it Boosters and J.D. Wilkes and The Wheelhouse Rousters began to flourish. 

And Paducah's arts community - began with the incredible foresight of city leaders decades ago - became a truly powerful force inside our community. 

Then, Ed and Meagan Musselman announced The Coke Plant, a historical architectural gem that sat empty MY ENTIRE LIFE, was being refurbished, reinvented, and reinvigorated. It became the home of Dry Ground Brewing Company, where I have learned I actually LIKE beer, and Piper's Tea and Coffee, where Peter and Amber Barnett treat coffee and tea as an art form.

Italian Grill on Broadway. MAKE. The soon-to-open Freight House. Ephemera. SHARE Paducah.

It's all happening... and I couldn't be prouder AND I thought what a great way to celebrate the two-year anniversary of bluegrass redhead by celebrating the place that inspires me more than any other - Paducah.

So, if you live ANYWHERE near Paducah, then you need to make a visit. I'll show you around. It'll be awesome. If you don't (and by that I mean you live overseas), then I've got a fun giveaway to give everyone a little taste of why we're all feeling so #PaducahProud.

I've partnered up with Bricolage Art Collective for the giveaway. Bricolage is a GREAT place to see all the amazing art coming out of Paducah right now. It's owned by Sara Falder and Landee Bryant-Greene. I'm going to go ahead and proclaim Landee, a founding mother of the current Paducah moment. As the Executive Director of Maiden Alley Cinema, Landee has been doing the back-breaking groundwork involved in creating the moment we're currently having.

It might seem like it's coming out of nowhere, but truthfully it's because of the hard work of people like Landee and many, many others.

Now, on to the awesome stuff. Everything you see here you can get at Bricolage.

Photo by Imagine Create Play.

A couple of weeks ago I posted a photo of my necklace by Heather of The Copper Thread and y'all plain ole freaked out. Heather is doing some AMAZING things with copper and enamel AND giving away one necklace to a lucky bluegrass redhead reader. 

Photo by Glenn Hall.

Piper's Tea and Coffee is giving away the winner's choice of one pot of tea. Can we even talk about these adorable pots? I would want to win one even if it wasn't filled with delicious tea. Peter and Amber take what they do very seriously (despite being ridiculously fun people). Let's say you stop in and they just happened to have mixed up fresh strawberry lemonade on a whim. It will still be the most delicious lemonade you've ever tasted and then you will steal it from your 4-year-old and make him cry and NOT. CARE.

Not that I would know...

Photo by Imagine Create Play.

Nathan Brown is what I would describe as A Renaissance Hillbilly. He's a musician. He's a designer. He is also an artist and creates the most beautiful pottery. Nathan is giving away one piece of pottery to a lucky reader.  

Photo by Joshua Black Wilkins.

Jessica Lee Wilkes has been instrumental in the Paducah music scene for years as a member of J.D. Wilkes and the Dirt Daubers. Now, she's released her solo debut Lone Wolf and y'all...

Here. Listen to this. Sit still while doing it... I DARE YOU.

Groove's Too Shallow

Jessica Lee Wilkes

See. Jessica is giving away a copy of Lone Wolf.

Photo by Imagine Create Play.

Char Downs opened Pinecone Studio in the Lower Town Arts District in 2005 and has been creating imaginative, gorgeous art ever since. Char is giving away one piece of art to a lucky reader. 

Enter by using the Rafflecopter widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Summer List: Paducah Edition!

We all know I love a summer list. For the past two years, I've put up a big list of summer activities I hope to check off before fall starts beating down our door and it has made our summers so fun! In my experience, a good summer list can make you a little more conscious of they days as they fly by and keep you from looking up at the end of August only to proclaim, "Where did the summer go!?!"

Today I've made a summer list for Paducah! I've put all the activities that I think make a summer in Paducah so much fun so if you live in the area, check it out! Even if you don't, hopefully it can inspire you to make a summer list of your own. 

Robert Coleman Spray Park

Noble Park Pool

Paducah Farmer's Market

Movies in the Park

Story Time the McCracken County Public Library

An Evening Downtown

And don't forget the Superman Festival, the McCracken County Fair, and the Fourth of July festivities!

This post is based on a 2014 Summer List I made for herKentucky. Look for an updated list soon!