Sugar and Fire in Our Blood

For some reason, the topic of the Kentucky Derby has come up in conversation several times in the past few days. Being a Louisville native, I have grown up under the assumption that the first Saturday in May is a national holiday. We even got off school the day before for the Oaks race. Imagine my surprise when I went to school in South Carolina and the most magical day in Kentucky was virtually ignored... not cool. For future reference: the first Saturday in May demands reverence and you should celebrate accordingly by gambling and drinking and being Southern.

Arguably, the best part of the Derby is sitting in a box under a huge beautiful hat in an adorable sundress, enjoying a refreshing mint julep. Created with sugar, water, Kentucky Colonel mint, and bourbon (Woodford Reserve, if you want a true-to-form Churchill Downs julep... I prefer a lighter bourbon and this is by far the best), mint juleps can be an acquired taste, but have the effect of utter refreshment on a warm Kentucky Saturday in May. Throw on your seersucker suit and try it out sometime. 

So it might just be because I grew up here, but no matter the reason, I own what seems like a thousand julep cups. Some are simple, some have monograms or engraving, and some have beautiful small detailing. Whatever the individual characteristics, julep cups have a beautifully simple uniform shape that lends itself to a variety of uses.

As seen in the picture, julep cups are my default choice for a vase, especially for large blooms such as peonies and hydrangeas. In addition, from where I am sitting right now, I can see three julep cups employed in various uses in my bedroom: one on my desk holds pens and pencils, another on my dresser holds loose change, and a third sits on my bookshelf with a pink peony (faux) acting as a bookend. Simple, classic, Southern, and beautiful. The julep cup is by far one of my favorite tools in decorating. And for those of you unlucky enough to grow up outside of this great state, silver-plated julep cups can be had for as little at $15.95 apiece. So next time you see one for sale, think of this suggestion and remember that you are not only investing in a piece of classic Kentucky, you are also getting a multi-purpose decorating tool you can enjoy for year and years.