I am so sorry for my extended absence. In the last two months, we moved out of our townhouse in Virginia, I dyed my hair pink and then reddish brown, we went to Michigan, Kentucky, and Disney World, and we moved to the Middle East. I will write more about all of those adventures, obviously, but first, I wanted to tell you about the Kentucky Derby.

Since Toby is from Kentucky and went to college there, he has been to the Derby multiple times. But I had never been. We had plans and plane tickets several years ago, but (as usual) the Marine Corps got in the way. So I was super excited when Toby suggested going this year, before our move.

I apparently have an excessively large head (and definitely have a ton of hair), so most hats don’t really fit me, and I didn’t have enough time to get one made. Luckily, I had already bought this amazing fascinator headband from Vineyard Vines, which I had planned to wear at our house for a Derby party.

Toby had only ever attended the Derby in the outfield, which he said is a muddy, drunk mess — and worse, that you can’t even see the races from there. My brother doesn’t seem to mind, but Toby insisted on getting us actual tickets so we could “do it right.”

… and obviously “doing it right” involved a lot of mint juleps, as well as a few of the signature cocktails of The Oaks (which is the night before the Derby), the Lily.

We had a fantastic time, and I would definitely recommend you go if you ever get the chance — even if you get tickets in the outfield. Just be sure to wear comfortable shoes (no matter where you sit!) and bring something to sit on if you’re going to be hanging with the party animals!

My outfit: Fascinator headband: Vineyard Vines (on sale!), Dress: J. Crew (on sale!), Earrings: Bauble Bar (old, but lots of other cute ones here), Monogrammed Bracelet: Moon and Lola, Sandals: Roxy (old, similar here)

Toby’s outfit: Jacket: Brooks Brothers, Tie: Vineyard Vines, Hat: Target