Derby Days

When I was in college, each spring we would board a bus and travel to another college town about two hours away to attend a horse race. I went every year, spending time thinking of the perfect dress and coordinating hat to wear. (Remember that I departed for college in the late nineties so needless to say those outfits are not something I care to share publicly.) Those races were some of my favorite college memories, though I never once saw an actual horse. In fact, can anyone confirm for me that there are actual horses at Foxfield Races in Charlottesville? I kid...kind of.

Once college ended, so did the horse race attendance, aside from a 2008 revival appearance thanks to some girls who convinced me that was a good idea.



Gone was the two hour party bus ride and instead my husband dropped us off and studied in a local coffee shop while we tried to recreate our past complete with decorated plastic cups.  A fun time was had by all but I can nearly confirm that was my last horse race for a while. (And in case you were wondering, we did have a brief horse sighting that time around.)

Anyway, while I draw no comparison between Foxfield and the Kentucky Derby, there is simply no way I can think of a horse race without fondly remembering the fun memories I have from our own mini version of Churchill Downs.

I have made horse cookies a time or two, but none for actual horse races. So when a friend/party planner extraordinaire chose me to make the cookies for her Kentucky Derby birthday party, I was thrilled!  WAIT until you all see this party.  Sadly I enjoyed it from a far, but it looked simply amazing.

For the event, we chose julep cookies to match both the invitations and the birthday girls's monogram...



mixed in with preppy jockey silks.



Undoubtedly some of my favorite cookies to date. Thank you for having me be a part of another one of your FABULOUS events Melissa!

Hope you all had a happy derby weekend.