KENTUCKY, Y'ALL.

Happy Friday!!! It's been a trying week, but I made it. 

First things first: for all of you that follow kileyinkentucky....THANK YOU. You truly keep me going. This blog is quickly becoming my happy place and I'm thankful for the 1000~ of you who keep coming back each week. 

Now, for all the negative that has been presented to me in 2014, a couple of wonderful things (big and little) have happened. 

One of them I am saving for next week. 

Two of them, I will talk about today:

1) A happy surprise that arrived on my doorstep

2) The amazing finished product of something I have anticipated for months

Let's begin.

KENTUCKYFORKENTUCKY

As you have seen or heard previously, I am a huge supporter of "KentuckyforKentucky." If you want to know more about them, visit their website here. Take a look at their videos, but especially peruse their merchandise. They sell one-of-a-kind, original designs in t-shirts, prints, bumper stickers, post-cards, greeting cards, and much more!

I contacted KYforKY when I started kileyinkentucky to express my admiration for their brand and to tell them how excited I was/am to become an advocate for small-town Kentucky.

Hannah LeGris, your response was so encouraging and for that alone, I give 1 million thank yous!

But then you went above and beyond and sent me some free stuff. Encouragement is great, but you can't argue with free stuff. 

These awesome bumper stickers haven't made it to my car yet because I don't know what my Mamaw would think!

Love these postcards. But will probably keep them to myself ;)

Last but not least, one of their most popular items...the "Y'ALL" shirt. Here I am, modeling it in a warehouse on my lunchbreak ;-) (time-management at it's finest)

My gratitude for you is endless, KentuckyforKentucky! Y'all kick ass! (Sorry, Mamaw)


"THE SONGS WE USED TO SING"

A really cool thing happened last November. I was asked to be a part of a music video. What you may not know about Greensburg is that this place is music video GOLD. We have beautiful, untouched countryside, a cute down-town, and countless helping hands ready to volunteer their whole weekend free of charge. Blake Judd, of JuddFilms, is a Greensburg native and has relied on his hometown for many country music videos. Todd Tue, of Milk Productions, isn't from Greensburg, but I'm going to make him an honorary citizen....because this video truly showcases how breathtaking our little Kentucky town is.

"The Songs We Used To Sing," by Possessed by Paul James, is an Country/Folk/Americana song that was perfect for the location.

I am not going to give away ALL the secrets because I don't want to take away from the storyline. But, every person in this video is from Greensburg or Campbellsville. In addition to that, the hair and makeup artist, choreographer, and some of the volunteer staff are from Greensburg as well. If that wasn't enough---some very kind Greensburg-ians donated their cabin, their home, and cooked a feast for everyone on set. It was an amazing experience and I am infinitely proud of the final product. 

Oh, and meet my boyfriend, Daniel. 

He came home early from NYC (where he is an actual actor!) to be my music-video boyfriend.
Also, because we used my car to film, and because I love both the photo and memory, these two items are still hanging on my visor.

The song debuted on CMT, YouTube, and VH1 yesterday!

Click here to view the video through CMTedge.com!

Happy viewing.....see you next Friday!

Uncle Trent

Here's to the man who bought me my first gun and taught me how to shoot. He sat through the 6-hour gun safety class with me simply because he wanted to. He sacrificed Saturdays, made and purchased targets and extra bullets,  navigated his truck into impossible places, and continually went without earphones so I could become "a good shot."  It is hard to convey how important this is to me,  but of all the things he gave me, this was the greatest gift possible; the gift of self-defense, a constant sense of responsibility, safety, and the empowerment that comes with knowing how to protect myself. 


And, I will certainly miss hearing your unique philosophy on every topic under the sun, accompanied by a comical story at my Mamaw's dining room table. Our family will never be the same.  


Everytime I shoot a gun--hopefully ever only for recreation and practice--I will be thinking of you and Saturdays at the river. This isn't the rose-colored, sugar-coated picture some hope to leave behind, but YOU know that is one heck of a legacy.


Love you, Uncle Trent!!!!

A day with Ms. Day, Miss Kentucky 2013

7:55 AM

I arrived at the middle school as Jenna was stepping out of her car. In a black pea coat, dotted tights and heels, she looked impeccable as usual. The car window as her mirror, she balanced the coveted Miss Kentucky crown atop her head and secured it with bobby pins. Standing in the parking lot, 26 degree wind cutting right through my leather jacket, I felt like a little girl watching a princess get ready for a royal appearance. (Or, in Jenna's case…watching the Republican Nominee prepare for a Presidential Debate.) 

I was happy to see Jenna's mom, Leslie, had accompanied her for the day. In my pageant-world experience, girls become just as fond of the mothers as they do their remarkable daughters. I led them both inside the school, my old stomping grounds, and into the office. Jenna signed her name to the visitor's sheet. In passing, I saw what she had written in the "reason for visit" box: Motivating Kids. 

Once inside the gymnasium, Jenna removed her coat to reveal a chic tan dress with black lace details. She draped the rarely seen black Miss Kentucky sash over her shoulder. It looked like it was made for this very ensemble. The 6th grade class trickled into the gym and noisily whispered to each other, eyes remaining on the lady with the crown.

"We have Jenna Day, Miss Kentucky 2013, here on sabbatical from the one and only University of Kentucky. Please give her your full and undivided attention as we only have 15 minutes with her this morning." 

I took a seat on the bleachers beside her mom, camera at the ready. A hush fell over the crowd of students the second Jenna took the microphone. 

"Hello, everyone. Are you awake yet?" 

"Noooooo…." the kids said in unison. 

In this short 15 minute talk with the 6th grade class at Green County Middle School, Jenna talked about having been bullied at their age. I was just as surprised as the students to hear she hadn't always been the confident, put-together, successful young woman appearing before us. She sang a sample of "My Old Kentucky Home" in her classically trained voice, and before I could blink it seemed her time was up. 

Some students rushed back to their classroom, but a few hung behind to catch a moment with Miss Kentucky. I watched from a distance, toying with my camera, while a 6th grade girl approached Jenna. 

"How did you deal with the bullying?" the student asked her quietly. 

I didn't ask Jenna to share her response, but she later said "Lots of people want to know about my Miss America experience. But, there are much more important things I'd rather talk about. Miss Kentucky doesn't just go to Miss America....she comes home to a very challenging full-time job. " 

9:00 AM

I led Jenna into the Green County Intermediate School, a school for 3rd-5th graders. The office staff looked delighted when she handed them an autographed picture with a message neatly written in permanent marker. 

"We'll send a copy home in the students' backpacks this afternoon. They will love that!" 

We followed the vice-principal into the gym where Jenna stepped behind the curtain on the stage. The soundtrack to Frozen was playing through the speakers and, knowing Jenna’s love of music, specifically, Frozen, I could picture her backstage twirling in her heels and singing the words loudly. I have yet to confirm whether this actually happened, but I am going imagine it did!

The entire student body flooded the gym and sat on the floor, organized by class. Jenna popped her head from behind the curtain and the kids let out a perfectly synchronized gasp. Clearly, this was not the typical guest speaker they had expected. 

Her message for the younger kids was quite different than her first appearance of the day. She used a backpack filled with visual props to entertain and teach the students. These props represented things she does in her every day life to ensure success. She encouraged the students to do the following:

1. Take care of your brain

2. Take care of your body

3. Have a heart for others

4. Stand up for yourself and believe in your dreams

5. Be the best YOU you can be (1=100%)

The kids were not only engrossed in the lesson, but so was I. No matter the age, these tips are pretty darn relevant. I was reminded how easily I forget that there is only one Kiley like me in the world, and I owe it to myself to use that power for good.

When her time was up, Jenna fielded questions and gave a future Miss America system competitor advice on how to minimize pre-interview jitters. We left the Intermediate School right around the time our stomachs began to growl. 

10:00 AM

With 2.5 hours to kill before her last and final school appearance, Jenna, her mother, and I sat down for early lunch at Longhunters Coffee & Tea Co. We indulged in coffee, crepes, and several types of chocolate desserts, but we also had a much-needed chance to talk. I asked Jenna a few questions about her year as Miss Kentucky. To read the official interview and view more photos, click here. 

12:30 PM

Jenna's last appearance of the day was at the Green County Primary School, where my mom is a 1st grade teacher. The entire school had already assembled in the gym when we entered. 

I will tell you this: If you want to feel like a celebrity, walk into an elementary school side-by-side with a pretty girl in a sparkly crown. Half the kids will bombard you with questions..
"Do you know her?!" "Are you her SISTER?!"

The other half will be quietly in awe of the girl with the crown. Their heads will move in unison as they follow her across the gym floor, not even blinking for fear they might miss something. 

Jenna's last message was simpler yet, relating easily to these kids, as young as 4, that the things in her backpack would ensure them more success in their bright futures. 

The kids gasped and ooh'd and ahh'd and laughed and asked all the right questions when prompted. I was very impressed with Jenna's ability to keep the attention of not just these young children, but the attention of each student she had spoken to that day. 

For those of you who didn't know, I was 1st runner up to Jenna at the Miss Kentucky pageant last June. Which means, this entire day, I kept thinking…. "This was almost me." As much as I wanted to win the title, on Tuesday, I got a big taste of exactly why the judges selected Jenna instead of me. I wasn't ready then to do the job Jenna has done thus far. As Miss Kentucky, Jenna has opened new doors for the next titleholder, with an estimated 60 new schools ready to book Miss Kentucky 2014 in the days following her crowning this July. She has worked with State Representatives in Frankfort, defended and protected Miss Kentucky's paid job as a spokesperson for the KY Department of Agriculture, and of course, made our state proud with a top 15 placement at Miss America in September. Not to mention, she has spoken to 18,000 kids since August.

Safe to say...I think she's a pretty cool gal. You go, Miss Kentucky! Can't wait to see what you do with the remaining months of your reign...and beyond!

On her trip back to Louisville, Jenna stopped in Hodgenville to visit the birthplace of a famous Kentuckian: Abraham Lincoln. 

See you next week!

Winter in Kentuckyland

My momma likes to go exploring (even in subzero temps) and I had to share her beautiful pictures with you. She is truly amazing for a "beginner." I'm giving her ALL the credit this week.

(She also gets credit for every picture of me found on this blog!)

 

See you next week!

Kentucky Bourbon Balls / Time Travel

Happy Friday, Happy January, and Happy New Year! So much happy and hopefully as many things to be happy about. 

Today's Blogpost comes in two parts. Part 1 took place in 2013. I poured little bits of my actual soul into perfecting the recipe. If you're interested, please click "Part 1: Kentucky Bourbon Balls" below.

PART 1: Kentucky Bourbon Balls

In celebration of the New Year, a mighty smooth-tasting Christmas gift, and the resurrection of my domestic skills---I made a famous Kentucky holiday dessert. 

*Disclaimer: if you are one of the many people who, like me, enjoy the thought of Bourbon Balls much more than the actual taste, add only half the suggested amount of Bourbon. 

As for Part 2, it is not food-related and it takes place in .... well, right now and every other second of the day. 

Keep scrolling for Time Travel and along the way, take a look at some pictures my mom took while I was slaving away in the kitchen.

WITH NO GRACEFUL TRANSITION WHATSOEVER.....

PART 2: Time Travel. Fast or Slow.

I am both amazed and completely maddened at the idea of "time." It never stops and it plows right on, whether we have completed our day's duties or not. It rules our lives. It comes to a complete standstill when we least desire it. It races when we wish it would just stop. There never seems to be enough of it, yet it's always there. Strange, right?

When I was but a tiny little person, I was perplexed by time zones. It didn't make sense that it could be 5 o'clock somewhere but 2 AM in my little world. I was very young when time-zone-talk became a "thing" in my life, because my county and the neighboring county are divided by the Eastern/Central Time Zone Line.

To REALLY understand what this means for daily life in Greensburg, you must know that we in the 'Burg go to Campbellsville a LOT. Those of us that choose not to stay in Greensburg for some things depend on it. For movies and other entertainment, for Wal-Mart, Kroger, CVS, family, friends, piano lessons, Church, school, and what-have-you. Thus, clarity is a big thing when making plans with others.

To out-of-towners, it is confusing. Those visiting or moving to Greensburg don't at first understand that "We are leaving at 4 slow time, 5 fast," means... "We are leaving at 4 Central time, 5 Eastern time." Our little nick names for the time zones keep things brief and also add a little charm. It's a way of life for us, but others require some adaptation.

So, on New Years Eve, it occurs to me. I'm sitting in slow time, watching the ball drop on TV in fast time. I celebrate when the fast-timers do because I run my life and schedule on fast time. Then, we all sit through an hour of down time before we celebrate the "real" New Year in Greensburg. 12 slow, 1 fast.

Me: "Hey! We could get in my car and drive back and forth over the Time Zone Line. We can go forward and backward in time for the next hour....2014, then back to 2013."

Friend: "One night a year, for one hour, we can travel in time."

No one, myself included, wanted to leave the confines of a warm home, a new kitten, and a really mean game of UNO to try this out, but the fact that we CAN do it is pretty cool. Still, for the purposes of my blog and my bucket list, I was rather disappointed I didn't brave the cold simply for the unique experience.

As I ventured to the zone line to snap a photo this afternoon, I realized that I and so many other folks time travel almost every single day when we leave Green County and cross into Taylor County.

I know it's not really time travel, per se...but it is unique to our quaint life in Greensburg. And, really, you have to explain it to someone who's never lived life based on the hour difference a time zone makes to understand just how cool it really is.

Whether you go slow or fast, I hope you have a fabulous week and a beautiful start to 2014.