Meet the Other Mary Thorsby

Update: Oh geeze, apologies to Tom Ford. I "misremembered" my own story. He didn't actually mention sunscreen in the speech that I link to toward end of this post. But he did knock off a good portion of the rest of Mary Schmich's very sage advice.


Well, who would have thought that there's another Mary Thorsby in the world? There's just not that many Thorsbys around, and look how darling she is! She found me on Facebook and sent the following message:


To which I replied with:


And now we're like reunited twins, only she's 20+ years younger and way prettier and...


...evidently befriends wildlife a lá Snow White.


The younger, prettier Mary Thorsby is from Franklin, Tenn., and goes to Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. According to her Facebook profile, we share many of the same interests like music, traveling and photography. We love a bunch of the same movies: Dead Poets Society, Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion and one of my very faves, Little Miss Sunshine. And we're fans of Tuesdays with Morrie, East of Eden, To Kill a Mockingbird and The Catcher in the Rye.

We're similar in our political views — she's moderate while I’m Left Coast, and, get this, we're both Leos.


So I've been thinking quite a bit about the young Mary Thorsby — the one I've just met online and the one I used to be. The only piece of advice I can really offer comes from designer Tom Ford, who totally swiped the advice from its originator, the Chicago Tribune's Mary Schmich: Wear sunscreen. I sure wish I had.

And come to the LowerTown Art and Music Festival May 23 and 24. It would be great fun for the young Mary Thorsby to help out the old(er) Mary Thorsby in our iList Paducah booth — especially when the old(er) Mary Thorsby goes on a beer run.

New iList Paducah Sponsors!

Woo-Hoo! We love top banner ads. This one is from our friends at Energy Fitness, of course. They're offering all sorts of great things in April, including a skinny joining price of $19. So give a call to 5554.7222 or just stop in at the 2343 New Holt Rd. or 3425 Oak St. (off Berger Rd.) location, or both!


The above is from our friends at Turner Landscaping — Five Easy Steps to a new landscape! Give Jason Turner a call at 554.9321!


Check out Gallery 600 this month for great deals...


...and speaking of great deals — there's a big sale going on at Aspire Arts and Aphrodite Gallery THIS WEEK. So get your shop on and pick up some nice pieces. (Step)Mother's Day is right around the corner!

From the Lovely Laura Grumley

This just in from the lovely Laura Grumley:

It's the fifth year that WKCTC's Heart Walk Team has sold geraniums for the American Heart Association's Heart Walk. They're just $10 apiece. If you'd like some, send Laura an email. Deadline: Monday, April 13 for delivery on Thursday, April 16.

Fair Mare

I was honored by an invitation from iDate of the Week Jody Cofer (far right) to say a few words at the Kentucky Fairness Alliance reception in Murray this past Saturday.

Jody works for Murray State University as the program specialist for Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Activity. And he's on the Alliance board, which works to ensure that our gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (GLBT) friends receive the same fair treatment as we boring straight folk are supposed to receive. New board chair Travis Myles is on my right and JPMorgan Chase VP Don Wenzel, who also spoke, is on my left.

All sorts of cute people were there:






...including in the photo above MSU Provost Dr. Gary Brockway and Bill France.

Jody invited me to talk about my role on the Paducah Human Rights Commission. We'd recently sent an official thank you proclamation to Governor Beshear for reinstating a ban (originally signed by Governor Patton and rudely revoked by Governor Fletcher) against discrimination based on sexual orientation in state employee hiring. Jody actually did most of the work with that, but I appreciate his giving me a shout out.

He also suggested I talk about what fairness means to me professionally and personally. Professionally, of course, I talked about iList Paducah and our desire for the site to reflect and celebrate our entire community, even when we receive the occasional cranky email.

And personally, I noted that my husband Bruce Brockenborough and I passionately believe that none of us deserves more rights than anyone else. In our book, that extends to any two people lucky enough to find each other, fall in love and get hitched up. Marriage rocks, and it's not right — or fair — that we can do it, but our gay and lesbian friends cannot.

While I was hoping for wild and thunderous applause at that, I am thankful for the polite clapping I did receive. Hopefully I didn't set the fairness folks back a giant step since sweet, sweet Jody was so nice to invite me to speak.

I dunno. Fair is fair. I just think that should extend to everything.

Free Gift! Free Gift! Free Gift!

We sent out a sponsored email on behalf of the Carson Center last Friday to promote THIS VERY NICE OFFER:

Be among the first 20 to purchase your tix to the April 16 Wine Tasting Auction or the April 17 Vintner's Luncheon — or, ideally, both — and you'll receive a free gift! The Carson Center has some gorgeous crystal wine carafes, wine bags and a nice wine opener that could be yours if you call 443.9932, x240 or x241 and mention iList Paducah.

If you didn't receive the email, just go here for more details! See you there!

Hungry?

This Aggression Will Not Stand, Man

So we've been hearing a lot of: "Hey, the Chick Flicks series ROCKS! What about us dudes?"

Dudes, tonight's your night! It's The Big Lebowski, 6 p.m., Tuesday, March 31, at Maiden Alley Cinema. Sponsored by the Law Office of Jeffery P. Alford, tonight you can have all the White Russians, beer, food and giveaways you can possibly want, all for just $25. Proceeds go to the cinema — and to future guy's night out events.

It's not just for guys — gals are welcome, too!

So be sure to go. You can pay at the door if it's not sold out. Maybe email Landee to make sure.

Dancing With Our Stars

I missed Lourde's Dancing With Our Stars fundraiser on March 21, but just recently discovered the TV show, and I'm totally hooked. However, I'm sure that Gilles Marini comes nowhere close to the suave debonairness of one Kenn Gray. Here are a few photos taken by fab photog Jill Tanner of Kenn and his dance partner Debbie Conger:






Here are a few pre-event photos from Jill:


...including Laura K and her make-up brushes...


...Leah Hagel of Medical Spa 7...


...Karen Hammond of Paducah Parenting...


...Beautiful Anna Brewer...


...Beautiful Shirley Kluenser...


...And, of course, Kenn with his lovely finance, Kendra Thompson — the pair otherwise known as Kenndra.

Congratulations to all the dancers! And beautiful photos, Jill!

Ante Up!

Drop In!

Reposting....See you tonight!


This just in from our friends at Cosmic Vibe Alliance: Tommy Gunns — DJ, not porn star — headlines The Drop Saturday, March 28, at Tribeca, 127 South 2nd St., 9 p.m.-3 a.m.

It's Cosmic Vibe Alliance's premiere DJ show, also featuring hotties G.I.J., Purvis and my personal favorite, DJ Urban Kobbb.

$5 cover, must be 21 with ID. $2 Bud Light Longnecks, $4 margaritas and chips and salsa served all night. See you there!

Because We Can Still Afford $1 Drafts...

Yeah, OK, things are grim. But we have just the thing to cheer everyone up! Our own iList Paducah Stimulus Party, tonight, 7 p.m., at di Fratelli!

Brian Steffen is serving $1 drafts (with food purchase), $5 Finlandia martinis, $6 house wines or any stimulating refreshment of your choice. And we'll have music by DJ Urban Kobbb!

Please join us. We have some stimulatin' to do.

One Night Only

Super hottie artists John Romang and Joshua Comley are putting together another great art show. It's 6-10 p.m., Saturday, April 18, in the Serenitea Ballroom, 121 North 5th St., which I keep hearing about but have yet to see. Free food, booze and music by Tony Foo Yong and DJ Urban Kobbb.

The guys are selling around 100 pieces at Paducah prices — and they promise a show that's "like no other opening you've seen or have been to."

It's sure to be. These two are always doing something unusually creative, like creating a mural in Maiden Alley last fall. Here's John...


And Joshua...


So plan to stop in. We're one of the sponsors, along with our friends at Roof Brothers, Kirchhoff's, Occasions Unlimited, ZebraGraphics, Serenitea and the Canvas Room!

Gretchen's New Show!

Nice feature by Angie Kinsey in the Sun this morning on Gretchen Smith. Gretchen has an art show at the Asbury College Morrison Kenyon Student Center Gallery in Wilmore, Ky., with an opening reception this Saturday, 5-7 p.m.

Gretchen has a neato story about how she came to Paducah. You can read all about it in our iDate of the Week interview with her a while back. The "contributed photo," by the way, was taken by our own Nikki May. So the credit should read: iList Paducah.

Congratulations, Gretchen!

Shhh! Surprise Birthday Bash for Paul Rowton!

Paducah's own icon of tennis — hottie Paul Rowton — turns 80 this Saturday, March 28, and all his students, fans and friends are invited to Paul Rowton Indoor Tennis Center to celebrate! It's a surprise, so plan to arrive by 6:15 p.m., and bring your favorite photos. They'll be serving up food, cake and drinks, and lots of great stories about Paul, his tennis career and his numerous awards. Paul still teaches every day!

Dress casually, or dress ready to play — the courts will be free and open! If Paul had an impact on your life — or your family — please stop by and share the LOVE! Rowton's is at 5705 Old Highway 60, past Kentucky Mall. Happy Birthday, Paul!

We've Lost a Friend on the Web

Crystal Shackelford, who played a key role in bringing the Paducah Sun online, passed away Monday morning after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. She was just 31.

So many friends on Facebook have been posting such sweet notes about her, including her close friend and mentor Janett Blythe, WKCTC's PR pro. Crystal interned for Janett through a work/study program, and Janett recognized her talent and promise early on — so much so that she recommended Crystal to the Sun.

Janett also played a role in introducing Crystal to her husband, Pastor CT Shackelford of the Rocky Ford Baptist Church. Together, they formed a blended family with eight children, including little Sade'a, 3, above. If you want a glimpse into Crystal's beautiful life, visit to her Web site, crystalshackelford.net.


The Sun's Angie Kinsey wrote a lovely piece about her. Click the image to enlarge.

REVISED: Crystal's family will receive visitors beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 28, at Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, 1201 South 8th St. The service follows at the church at 1 p.m., with the burial at Oak Grove Cemetery. Pettus-Rowland Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. A trust fund for the Shackelford's family, "Life Funds for Crystal Shackelford," is now open at BB&T Bank. Donations can be made at any bank branch.

iList Paducah Stimulus Party: $1 Drafts

Need a refreshing stimulus package? How do $1 drafts (with food purchase), $5 Finlandia martinis, $6 house wines or any stimulating refreshment of your choice sound?

It's our iList Paducah Stimulus Party this Friday, March 27, starting at 7 p.m., at di Fratelli! And here's a bonus that should make everyone happy: music by DJ Urban Kobbb! Please join us. We have some stimulatin' to do.

New iList Paducah Sponsors!

We have some new additions to iList Paducah today, starting with a new business venture! It's The Cartridge Shoppe, run by our friend Pam Harrison. Pam's offering a great way to recycle empty inkjet and toner cartridges. All you have to do is call her at 349.3824 or email her for the nearest drop off.


Pam will refill and remanufacture all inkjet and toner cartridges locally, and promises that they'll provide prints equal to, or better than, your original cartridge. So give it a try — if you work at a school or non-profit, she can also help raise money through recycling ink cartridges!


Mother's Day (and, ahem, Stepmother's Day) is just around the corner. Why not plan a little get away at the lake from Water Way Adventures? Because when (step)mama's happy, then everyone's happy...


And last, as I keep yammering on and on about, we've got the Kirchhoff's specials menu each week on iList Paducah. And we think that's pretty cool.

Welcome aboard, everyone!

Speaking of Lunch...

So I mentioned yesterday that we now have Kirchhoff's weekly specials on iList Paducah — just scroll down a little — you'll see it in the middle.

If you're looking to share your lunch love, check out Martin Fierro Argentinean Grill, as well. I went there for lunch today — $8.95 for the salad bar, soup and this long list of sandwiches to pick from (click the image to enlarge unless you have super-sonic eyeballs):


So check it out. Lunch is Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., 314 Broadway. If you wanna do carryout, just call them at 408.1302!

Big Names Coming to the Carson Center

I love the Carson Center. It's truly amazing that we have such a gorgeous performing arts center — on par with anything in any big city — right here in our own backyard. There's a super fun fundraiser set for Saturday, March 28, with dinner by Artisan Kitchen and dancing to the Equinox Jazz Orchestra. Tix are still available, so get yours before they're gone!


The Doobies are coming Thursday, April 3...


American Idol's Ruben Suddard and Frenchie Davis star in Ain't Misbehavin' on Tuesday, April 7 and Wednesday, April 8...


And Willie Nelson, one of my favorites, is here Monday, May 25.

Tix are also on sale for Michael W. Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman, Ray Stevens and Clay Campbell, the symphony's Porgy and Bess and the always-fun Wine Tasting and Auction and new Vintner's Luncheon. You'll find more details here!

What's Cookin' at Kirchhoff's?

OMG. We are LOVING this. Starting like, right now, we're running Kirchhoff's specials each week on iList Paducah. So when you wanna know what's cookin' at Kirchhoff's, just go to iList Paducah ANY TIME, ANY DAY and scroll down a little. You'll see it in the middle. Is that convenient, or what?

Next thing you know, we'll be bringing your lunch right to you. Ah! Online orders! Hum....

Drop In!

This just in from our friends at Cosmic Vibe Alliance: Tommy Gunns — DJ, not porn star — headlines The Drop this Saturday, March 28, at Tribeca, 127 South 2nd St., 9 p.m.-3 a.m.

It's Cosmic Vibe Alliance's premiere DJ show, also featuring hotties G.I.J., Purvis and my personal favorite, DJ Urban Kobbb.

$5 cover, must be 21 with ID. $2 Bud Light Longnecks, $4 margaritas and chips and salsa served all night. See you there!

An Evening of Performance Apps Available!

You can't beat two hours of free entertainment! The City of Paducah and the Paducah Human Rights Commission (PHRC) offer just that on Friday, May 29, at the Carson Center. The evening will feature local and diverse musicians, singers, dancers, actors, poets and other entertainers.

Want in? All you have to do is download and complete the application. The forms are due by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15. This is a very fun event, and a great way to show the diversity of talent we have right here at home. Check out the story from last year's event.

My Favorite Fellas

I mentioned the other day that the Metro Hero and I took young Patrick Brockenborough to Washington, DC, last week for Pat's spring break. Patrick is 11 now and officially taller than I am. It's a little disconcerting that someone one-fourth my age can tower over me, but there you go. He is, by the way, totally sweet and funny, and I always love being around him even though I can no longer see the top of his blonde head.

One of Washington highlights (for me, anyway) was our visit to the World War II Memorial. I remember my dad being very excited about this memorial when it was in the works. He was in World War II and...


...when you type Bill Thorsby into the computer kiosk next to the memorial, his very handsome photo appears. His brother, Walker Thorsby, also is included, as is my mom's brother, Newton Collinson.

When I was in San Antonio recently going through my dad's papers and memorabilia and such, I found a huge folder containing all his notes and the various articles and letters he'd been saving about the memorial. We'd all gone to see it with him a few years ago. He really didn't talk about the war that often, but after seeing all the things that he'd kept in files and footlockers, the war definitely played a much larger role in his life than I'd thought. He was really proud to be included in that memorial. And I was happy to get to see it again.


I was also happy to see Jon Wright — he's the curly-headed hottie with Bruce and Patrick, above. Jon's from Paducah, he's 27 and he's done all sorts of interesting things in his young adulthood. A few summers ago, he wanted to work for Gavin Newsom, the mayor of San Francisco. So he took off in his car and called the mayor's office from each state to let them know he was on his way. There was no job, mind you. But Jon Wright was determined to work for the mayor of San Francisco. And he did. (We have more on that story in Jon's iDate interview.)

He parlayed that into work on a number of political campaigns, including a big win for President Barack Obama. Jon's now living in DC and, like lots of folks, interviewing for jobs. I'm a big fan of Jon's. He's got that energy, enthusiasm and initiative that you always like to see in young people. I have no doubt that he'll land some plum gig before long. I just hope he remembers those of us back in Paducah when he starts handing out ambassadorships.

One last thing about Washington, DC: the Newseum. It's the coolest museum ever.

Support the Market House Theatre!

This looks WAY fun! The Market House Theatre's gala auction is tonight, 7:30 p.m., at the theatre. More details here!

Smiles for Life

iList Paducah sponsors Dr. William Walden and Dr. Scott Bridges of the fabulous Paducah Dental Care have a great offer that’s sure to make you smile. Make an appointment for professional teeth whitening and half the fee will go to national children’s charities through the Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids’ Foundation, and the other half will go to our local Sunrise Children's Services to help abused kids in this area.

It’s all part of Smiles for Life, in which participating dentists — like the incredibly great Dr. Walden and Dr. Bridges — will donate the whitening fee between now and the end of June. So if you're looking for a little oral pick-me-up, give Paducah Dental a call: 444.6414. They're located at 5154 Village Square Dr.

The Metro Hero

We're in Washington, DC, this week, for young Patrick Brockenborough's spring break. This is such a great city for an 11-year-old. He was loving EVERYTHING today — the Washington monument, the Lincoln monument, the Capitol tour, the International Spy Museum.

But perhaps watching his father, Bruce Brockenborough, in action, was today's highlight.

We were transferring Metro trains at the Gallery Place Chinatown station when behind us we heard a woman shouting, "Thief! Thief" And said thief ran by us.

Without hesitation, Bruce Brockenborough took off after him down the escalator. The thief jumped into a train, with the doors closing right behind him. Everything happened so quickly — the next thing I knew, Bruce was prying the doors open with his Western Kentucky Whoop Ass strength, just enough for the woman to squeeze through. At which point she surely opened a can of Washington DC Whoop Ass on that rascal. Bruce would have boarded and helped her if Patrick and I weren't there.

Thanks to Bruce's bravery, though, the thief was apprehended at the next station, and the woman was able to recover her purse. Back on the platform, the rest of us were all dumbfounded by this amazing act of bravery and, upon hearing that the thief was caught, we all gave Bruce a big round of applause.

Our Metro Hero, however, seemed unfazed. "I wouldn't have done it if I wasn't sure everyone else would help," Bruce says, very modestly.

OK, well, here's the thing. NO ONE ELSE HELPED. All of us, including me — though I was staying close to Patrick, of course (actually, I was scared to death) — just stood there. The fact that Bruce Brockenborough — and the victim — were so determined to catch that guy — I dunno.

It's just a wonderful reminder that there are good and brave people in the world willing to stick their necks out and help others in need.

I'm glad I'm married to one of them.

The Toast of the Town

The March/April issue of Paducah Life is out. Y'all know how I love me some Paducah Life. It's a gorgeous publication — Darlene Mazzone and her team do a wonderful job with it.

The new cover features ubercouple Mike and Debbie Stone — I love me some Stones, too! They're instrumental in pulling together the Carson Center's Wine Tasting & Auction (Thursday, April 16, with a new Vintner's Luncheon on Friday, April 17), and they always have some fabulous bottle of wine open if you were to, say, stop by their house unannounced for a quick visit.

This issue has all sorts of wine-related stories, including a tour through John Williams Jr.'s amazing wine cellar — and more! So be sure to pick up a copy! And purchase your Wine Tasting & Auction and Vintner's Luncheon tickets by calling 443.9932, x240 or 241! We've got all the details here.

Hey, I Know Them...

Yep, it's the BrockenThorsbys — my husband Bruce Brockenborough and me. Paducah Bank just launched a neato advertising campaign in the Paducah Sun this past Sunday, using images by photographer Glenn Hall from their Wow! magazine to promote the bank.

This one is from a story they did on our Madison Condominium building in LowerTown. In fact, our beautifully redone first-floor unit (three bedrooms/two bath) will be open 1-4 p.m., this Saturday, March 21. Lovely Laura Petrie has the listing. PLEASE BUY IT FROM HER and be our neighbors. The address is 332 North 7th St., right at the corner of Madison. Our door faces 7th Street.

Nana and Bop's beautifully redone units (two bedrooms/two bath) will be open from 1-4 p.m., too. Their address is 618 Madison St. It's the same building, but our doors face different streets.

While you're in the 'hood, several other houses will be open, as well. You'll find them at 407 and 409 North 5th, 533 North 5th, 332 North 6th, 527 North 6th, 305 North 7th, 326 North 7th, 332 North 7th (that's ours, which I mentioned above), 333 North 7th (Unit 3-B), 403 North 7th, 417 North 7th, 520 Madison and 614 Madison. All hosted by C-21 Service, Coldwell Banker, ReMax and Sirk & Company Realtors.

New Biz Journal Column

Quick shout out to my friend and an iList Paducah sponsor Jeff French of the fabulous ZebraGraphics. Jeff took over my Internet column (whew) for the Four Rivers Business Journal — I was just totally out of steam and ideas and words and time. Jeff stepped up to the plate, and I was thrilled to hand 'er over to him.

He's super smart about all things Web, and in this particular column, he offers great advice on selling products online.

If you're a Chamber member, you get the publication in the mail. If you're a Paducah Sun subscriber, you can go here and download it.

Or, better yet, just hire him! He's an excellent designer, knows the technology and is lovely to work with.

Happy St. Paddy's!

Lots of fun stuff tonight! Thelma and Louise (one of my favorites) is playing at Maiden Alley Cinema, with doors opening at 6:15 p.m. and the movie rolling at 7 p.m. It's part of the Chick Flicks series, which raises money for the Merryman House Domestic Crisis Center and for the theatre, itself. Festive adult beverages and snicky snacks are included in the $20, so check it out! Just pay at the door. The series, by the way, is sponsored by the lovely folks at Contemporary OB/GYN, René Advertising and, yep, iList Paducah!

Great music is going on, too, including Bawn in the Mash at The Hotel Irvin Cobb, the Dirt Daubers at Doe's, Midlife Crisis at Jeremiah's and Lew Jetton and 61 South at Fat Moe's. Check iList Paducah for times.


You'll need your strength for tonight, so stop by Kirchhoff's for their St. Paddy's Week Special — corned beef and cabbage, Irish potato soup, hot cross buns, Irish soda bread and shamrock cookies. Lunch is 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Monday-Saturday!

Brian Steffen, by the way, took that photo. Leave it to Brian to make corned beef look sexy.

Those Men Were COOKIN'!

Saturday's Men Who Cook was an absolute blast and an absolute success! The Carson Center was packed thanks to celebrity chefs like Todd Megabucks Megibow, running in football-player style...


State Representative Brent Housman...


City Commissioner Richard Abraham and his gorgeous daughter Miki...


iDate Daniel Case and his super cute kiddo...


And handsome dad-to-be Venu Arunajatesan with his famous margherita pizzas, among tons more fellas. The Baker won best table decor, Bear on the Air won best apron, Tommy Thompson won best entrée, Matt Walker won best appetizer, Judge Rob Mattingly and Judge Dennis Foust won best dessert and Jay Brien won the taster's choice award.


Bruce Brockenborough (DJ Urban Kobbb), AJ and Bear brought in lots of money for the Purchase Area Sexual Assault & Child Advocacy Center during the auction...


The hosted bar was open all night — oy vey...


And the kids of all ages had a great time.


My highlight: meeting the gorgeously famous blogger Ashley "Boss" Sanders. She won tickets from iList Paducah (below)!

Don't miss this event next year! It's a great party for a great cause.

Four Free Tix!

I've said before that I absolutely LOVE this event. Actually, I LOVE men who cook in general, so turning a total favorite thing into a Men Who Cook fundraiser is just smart thinking. Smart thinking on the part of the Purchase Area Sexual Assault & Child Advocacy Center, that is. The event is 7 p.m., tomorrow night (Saturday, March 14), at the Carson Center!

Mary Foley and her team do a fantastic job with this event, recruiting 50 local guy-type celebrities to decorate booths and serve their own homemade concoctions. They've lined up State Representative Brent Housman, County Judge Executive Van Newberry, County Commissioner Jerry Beyer and City Commissioner Richard Abraham on the political front, along with lots of other fantastic guys, including iList Paducah friends!

I have four free tix to give away. If you'd like one or two, be among the first to use the comments link below to respond to these questions:

Who is your favorite man who cooks, and which of his dishes is your favorite? (Include your email address so that I can connect you with the tix!)

I'll go first: My favorite man who cooks is my husband, Bruce Brockenborough. He makes an amazing shrimp and grits based on a Ro Morse recipe. His secret: including fried bacon and pouring the grease right into the grits. Genius, I tell you. As DJ Urban Kobbb, he'll be deejaying the event. So please plan to join us for a big night at the Carson Center!

Speaking of Kirchhoff's

So our good friends at Kirchhoff's are now one of our premier iList Paducah sponsors with this handy-dandy promo appearing on the left side of our site each week. It's designed to promote the deli's lunch specials, including a gorgeous photo by the gorgeous Brian Steffen.

Starting Monday, we can look forward to some St. Paddy's Week specials at Kirchhoff's, including corned beef and cabbage, potato soup, Irish breads and shamrock-inspired cookies. Totally super cute. Look for these to change each week based on the newest creations from Louie and The Baker.

Speaking of The Baker, enjoy more of his amazing cooking Saturday night at Men Who Cook! Word on the street: He's in it to win. So don't miss that wonderful event!

Welcome, Market Square Coffee!

I meant to welcome Market Square Coffee as a new iList Paducah sponsor the other day. Owned by the lovely iDate of the Week Valerie Pollard, Market Square Coffee is the perfect place for a little pick-me-up any time of day. And it's especially perfect when paired with goodies from another iList Paducah sponsor, Kirchhoff's Bakery and Deli, just right next door.


Valerie carries wonderful coffees and teas, and she hosts Knitting, Crocheting and More each Wednesday at 1 p.m. So stop by and say hello: 118 South 2nd St., 444.0044.

Valerie also serves on the Market House Theatre board. Be sure to purchase your tix to the theatre's Gala Auction, Friday, March 20. You can purchase tix from any board member or directly through the theatre by calling 444.6828.

Welcome aboard, Valerie!

I LOVE These Girls!

The Radioactive City Roller Girls are the bomb. We did this little Talk Derby (Hats) to Me! story on iList Paducah last year. Please support them at their fundraiser tonight!

Wine Tasting, Auction & Vintner's Luncheon

iList Paducah is thrilled to be a media sponsor for the Carson Center's Wine Tasting & Auction on Thursday, April 16 — and, for a brand-new event, the Vintner's Luncheon on Friday, April 17. In fact, we sprang for a big ol' table for the luncheon. Because we really like wine with an Artisan Kitchen-catered lunch. And wine with dinner. And in between. And before. And sometimes after. (But very rarely first thing in morning. That's where coffee comes into play.)

Anyway, we just posted this page with most all of the details. Robert Mondavi is the featured winery this year, with hottie Anton Pestun on hand to tell us all about the various wines.

As usual, this will be an excellent event. So buy tix for the Thursday evening Wine Tasting & Auction or the Friday Vintner's Luncheon — or, if you're like us, buy tix to both events. Because the Carson Center rocks, and there's nothing like drinking wine, buying auction items and writing it all off on your taxes.

We'll be updating the page as the lovely Debbie Wattier (Godmother of iList Paducah) gets new info. You can always get to the page, though, by going to iList Paducah and clicking the Wine Tasting & Auction and Vintner's Luncheon logo at the top right.

Please note that the event takes place post-Lent. So this will be a very nice way to ease back into boozing it up for those of us who've been pretty good about abstaining for 40 days. And nights. And in betweens.

iList Paducah Welcomes Laura K!

Well, it's no secret that iList Paducah is a big, big fan of beautiful Laura K. She was a very early supporter of our site, and has written lots of great stories for us. This one is among my favorites. Anyway, she's officially launched her freelance business and is now not only an iList Paducah supporter, she's a sponsor!


So check out her Laura K Style blog, which serves as her online portfolio (along with her fun musings about fashion, travel, food and art). And hire her for marketing, PR, graphic design and as an image stylist. She also does amazing closet makeovers — this one is mine. And she's on Twitter, which I love. Lots of fun folks are on it, so hop aboard and tweet with us!

Look for Laura K's article on the Charity League's March 21 Bargain Fair next week on iList Paducah!

Gimme Those Jimmy Choos!

Is today's economy putting a big bummer on mama's shopping budget? Well, who needs Saks when we have the highly fashionable Charity League gals and their amazing Bargain Fair!

Held every three years, this is the place to get high-end clothes and accessories, household goods and other items, all for a good cause. The fair benefits Easter Seals of West Kentucky. So bring your folding money to the Robert Cherry Civic Center Saturday, March 21, 7-11 a.m. Items will go fast!

The Latest Wow!

The new issue of Paducah Bank's Wow! Magazine is out, featuring Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year Darlene Cook on the cover, surrounded by Shelby Puryear, Ben Higdon, Morgan Guess and Laura Walker.

Among the great reads: Paducah Bank's ranking as one of 15 top small workplaces in North America by The Wall Street Journal, and feature on the Paducah McCracken County Convention & Visitors Bureau (with a super cute photo of Executive Director Mary Hammond), Chad Beyer's i5 Design Group, our new friend Michael Terra —check out Terra Cottage, 514 North 7th St. this Second Saturday in LowerTown — the fab Glenn and Heather Denton and more.

Our pal Darlene Mazzone and her Mazzone Communications team produce the magazine for Paducah Bank. It's mailed to all customers and inserted into the Paducah Sun. You can also download the PDF. Congrats, Paducah Bank!

The Days After the Ice

Looks like the Ice Storm From Hell inspired a certain LowerTown someone! This Saturday is LowerTown's Second Saturday — when most all the galleries and shops are open with extended hours. Be sure to stop by Hottie Paul Lorenz's STUDIO mars, 418 North 7th St, and see his new work, The Days After the Ice. Noon-6 p.m.

The Wiz....

We have a new banner ad today on iList Paducah to help promote the Curtain Call Auction fundraiser for Market House Theatre. It's set for 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 20, at the theatre and, get this, among the many auction items are parts in a one-night-only performance of the Wizard of Oz!

According to Market House board member and hottie iDate Valerie Pollard, the parts up for grabs include:

The Wicked Witch
The Wizard
Glinda, the Good Witch
The Mayor of Munchkin Land
Auntie Em
The Cowardly Lion
Munchkins
Apple Tree
Lollipop Guild
Lullabye League

The evening also includes an auction with these great items:

A day on a houseboat with dinner for up to 20 people
A week at Rosemary Beach in a 2/2 condo
Learn to knit party for four with dinner
Hairspray poster signed by the Broadway cast, including Harvey Fierstien
Jeff Spicer original artwork
BBQ on the River package
Decorate cookies and cocoa party
Photography package
Car detailing and oil change
Massage

...and all the scoop on the 2009-2010 season. Tickets are only $20, which you can purchase from any board member or by calling the box office, 444.6828!

Men, Men, Men, Men Who Cook!

Y'all, there's lots of great stuff going on in Paducah this coming weekend, but THIS event is one of my very favorites. It's Men Who Cook, where about 50 local celebrity fellas decorate tables and serve their own-cooked horsey derves and snicky snacks, all for a good cause — the Purchase Area Sexual Assault & Child Advocacy Center. The event is sponsored by iList Paducah (yay!), Best Buy, Premier Event Group and Wagner Wine and Spirits.

The food and festive spirits start at 7 p.m., Saturday, March 14 at the Carson Center. Tix are $35 apiece or $60 for two — just call 534.4422 to reserve your spot.

We have several iList Paducah friends involved, including Venu Arunajatesan, The Baker from Kirchhoff's, David Boggs, Daniel Case, Kenn Gray and, of course, DJ Urban Kobbb.

Check out our iLove it story to read more about our chefs and to check out entire list, and please plan to come. PASAC is a wonderful organization, run by the gorgeous Mary Foley. The group cares for folks who've been sexually assaulted and for children who've been abused in any way. It's one of the few organizations of its kind in our area, and they most definitely need our financial support. If you or anyone you know need PASAC's help, please call their hotline: 800.928.7273.

Because We Care...Down There

Tonight! Go! Celebrate the Va-JayJay! And support the wonderful work of the Merryman House Domestic Crisis Center. Congratulations to tonight's cast and crew!

My Faves

Entertainment reporter Adam Shull did sweet shout-outs to several of my favorite people in yesterday's Paducah Sun Current. Above, he does a great overview of the weekend's music, including Special D's switch to Hearts of Saints and of DJ Urban Kobbb's gig tonight at di Fratelli. The Twenty Thirty Group is gathering there at 5 p.m., and DJUK, who happens to be my gorgeous husband Bruce Brockenborough, starts playing at 7 p.m. (Beer note, here.)


Adam also interviewed the gorgeous Sarah Bynum, who happens to be my gorgeous niece and one of the stars of Saturday evening's The Vagina Monologues. If you haven't seen this performance, you're missing a wonderful show.

The Vagina Monologues features local female celebs doing a series of often very funny and sometimes very sad monologues as writen by the show's creator Eve Ensler. The performance raises awareness around domestic violence, abuse against women and the like — and, at the same time, celebrates women's bravery, beauty and resilience.

You'll leave the evening uplifted and hopefully with several auction items. The show is a fundraiser for the Merryman House Domestic Crisis Center. There's a dinner at 6 p.m. with the performance at 7:30 p.m. at the Robert Cherry Civic Center. For tix, call Vonnie Adams, 800.585.2686, or just show up. And look for our iList Paducah ad in the event's program!

By the way, Sarah has launched a new blog: Sarah B. As most folk know, Sarah has promoted Ole Miss, Billy Harper for Governor and even FMC's ready-mixed concrete. She's now available to promote other lucky folks through marketing, public relations, communications and consulting. So check out her blog! She's the only Sarah you need to know!

New Banners and Paid Listing!

We have some new banner ads on iList Paducah this week. The above is from our friends at Curves at 3420 Park Ave. Donate a bag of groceries this month and join Curves for free! Call for details: 575.3800.


I blogged about this yesterday — Eugene Nunez is starting Ribeye Wednesdays at Martin Fierro Argentinean Grill and Rodizio, 314 Broadway. So starting Wednesday at 5 p.m. and on, enjoy a 16-oz. ribeye, salad bar (cold cuts, prosciutto, salmon and variety of salads) and a glass of Argentinean Malbec — all for just $29.95. If you're looking for a great dinner out, Wednesday night is your night!


I also mentioned this yesterday: Martin Fierro is a great place for lunch, too. Get a great sandwich for $10, any time between 11 a.m.-2 p.m. If you'd like carryout, just call 408.1302.


Last, hottie Travis Smith is advertising his 2211 Jefferson St. home with us, re-priced at $268,000. His Web site is gorgeous. Call 201.6021 for a showing!

DJUK Follows 20/30s at di Fratelli Friday!

The 20/30 Group gathers at di Fratelli this Friday, March 6, starting around 5 p.m., for some real live social networking time. If you fall into that age group — 20s, 30s, maybe a bit younger or older — actually, everyone is welcome to stop by.


DJ Urban Kobbb takes to the tunes at 7 p.m., right there in the lounge area. If someone could bring him a cold beer every now and again, I'd appreciate it. I'm in San Antonio this week and next, helping my mom go through my dad's things — which I'll likely write about a little later. If someone could attend to DJUK's beer needs in my absence, that would rock!

These Ain't Your Mamma's Thin Mints

Careful. These photos by the fabulous Brian Steffen are gonna make you wanna run right out to the nearest girl in green! Brian took these at last night's Desserts First fundraiser, benefiting the Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana.

The dessert above was concocted by these two crazy kids:


Karla and David of Artisan Kitchen. They won Best Dessert along with the People's Choice award. They're also cooking the pre-dinner shows for Mamma Mia! tonight through Thursday at the Carson Center. Details here!


The beautiful Laura Duff made the dessert above...


...and won the best appetizer award for her famous stuffed jalapenos!


Ken White, head chef at di Fratelli, made this Ultimate Caramel Medley...


...while Paducah Renaissance Alliance's David Boggs made these amazingly delish-looking doo-dads. He's cooking again for Men Who Cook at the Carson Center on Saturday, March 14.


The Baker from Kirchhoff's whomped up this...he's whomping more great eats for Men Who Cook, as well! In fact, he's on our home page this week!


Congratulations to all the chefs and to everyone for supporting such a great cause! More chef pictures and bios are on iList Paducah.

Free Photo Shoots Available!

Jill Tanner is one of the best photographers in our area. She's offering five FREE mini photo shoots to "plump up" her portfolio before she launches her Web site. If you're interested, you'll receive a 30-minute session at the location of your choice, 10-15 edited images for you to choose from and 20 percent off any print order.

These photos are from her blog. Look how great she is with kids!




And she does great action shots, as well!


And super-cute DJ photos!


And look how darling Jill is! Oh lá lá! If you'd like to take her up on her offer, just send Jill an email!

She's Got Another Wild Hair!

This is a great week to visit Downtown. There's Indigo Imports to check out at 224 Broadway. And, starting today at 10 a.m., Susan K. Edwards unveils a whole new look to her fab Wildhair Studios at 201 Broadway. She's been teasing us with it for the past several days:


“It's time to reinvent myself and Wildhair Studios, and it happens to coincide with my three-year anniversary at the corner of 2nd and Broadway,” says Susan, a wonderful artist who offers a variety of art classes and workshops, as well as corporate and group getaway experiences. We list them all on iList Paducah. Susan is an iList Paducah sponsor, which we so appreciate.

Stop by her shop all week, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and see how she's shakin' things up, including a new art demo area in the front with a community art project in the works.

Wildhair Studios has a large selection of Paducah and Kentucky souvenirs, T-shirts, postcards, greeting cards and jewelry. It's also the official “Paducah’s Off-the-Wall Shop,” offering all the Wall-To-Wall Floodwall Mural merchandise. 444.6115. Happy Anniversary, Susan!

Indigo Girl

I've been meaning to shout out the lovely Allyson Humphrey for quite awhile. Look what she's done:


It's Indigo Imports, a fabulous new home décor shop at 224 Broadway. She opened it a few months ago, importing pieces from China, India and other spots, with new shipments coming frequently. Here are a few pix:




My photos don't quite do the store justice, so be sure to stop in if you haven't already. The shop is located next to another fave — Lela's Boutique. So after you furnish your home, furnish your body! Allyson will launch a MySpace page soon. You can reach her at 443.5282. Congrats, Allyson!

Thelma and Louise

I LOVE this movie! I've never met a gal who didn't love it. Thelma and Louise is the ultimate chick flick, and it's featured Tuesday, March 17, as part of the Maiden Alley Cinema Chick Flicks series. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., with the movie starting at 7 p.m. It's $20 and includes very adult complimentary beverages — think Thelma and her liquor store robbery. As always, the proceeds benefit Maiden Alley and the Merryman House Domestic Crisis Center.

Send an email to Landee Bryant to reserve your spot today! Because, really, can you ever get enough of this scene?


No, I didn't think so. By the way, Paducah native Callie Khouri won the Oscar for the screenplay. She doesn't hang out 'round here much anymore....

Ribeye Wednesdays at Martin Fierro

So everyone knows how cute Eugene Nunez (above) and his whole entire family is. The Nunezes (hum, is that the plural of Nunez?) own the Martin Fierro Argentinean Grill and Rodizio, 314 Broadway, where you can enjoy great meats, wonderful salads, rare wines and don't even get me started on this:


Their mango pie is just about my favorite thing in the world.

Anyway, we added two new banner spots on iList Paducah today, which I'll get to later. But until then, here's a quick plug for two really, really good things:


First, each Wednesday evening, starting at 5 p.m., is now Wednesday Ribeye Night. Enjoy a 16-oz. ribeye, salad bar (cold cuts, prosciutto, salmon and variety of salads) and a glass of Argentinean Malbec — all for just $29.95. If you're looking for a great dinner out, Wednesday night is your night!


Second, lunch there is super delish and super affordable. You can get great sandwiches for under $10, any time between 11 a.m.-2 p.m. So if you're looking for a new lunch spot, voilá! It's right there on Broadway. With those hottie Nunezes. And, evidently, beer. Woo-Hoo!

Check out their new martinfierrogrill.com site for the menu and more details and call 408.1300 for reservations. If you'd like carryout, just call 408.1302.

My My, How Can I Resist You?

Got your Mamma Mia! tickets yet? Be sure to get pre-show dinner reservations, too! The fabulous Karla and David from Artisan Kitchen are cookin' up stifado, moussaka and baklava just like mamma mia used to make!

Find all the details, including the menu, in the iList Paducah iLove it section!

They're Launched!

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, our old friends Special D are now, indeed, and officially, Hearts of Saints, with heartsofsaints.com ready for action. The name change, say the four, better portrays their updated, explosive sound, cultivated image and overall outreach vision. In fact, headed to the studio (with all-star producer Ainslie Grosser) for their full-length debut, which will hit stores this May.

To celebrate, the band — LJ Granstaff, Craig Felker, Jason Killebrew and Joel Purdy — performs today at the Hard Rock Café in Orlando as part of Youth Pastor Summit 2009, just before Third Day’s frontman, Mac Powell, gives the keynote address.

Rock on, Hearts of Saints! Check 'em out on Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, Reverbnation, CD Baby and iTunes! The links are all on their site!

Donations in Honor of Jacob and McKenzie

You probably read the lovely coverage in the Paducah Sun. Funerals were held this weekend for Jacob Scott and McKenzie Stanley, the young men lost in a duck hunting accident in January. Their bodies were recovered weeks later in what must have been the most agonizing and painful time ever for their parents, families and friends.

If you'd like to do something super sweet, please send a donation in their honor to Hometown Heroes, c/o Ralph Holt, PO Box 302, Mayfield, Ky. 42066. This organization will divide the funds among the agencies that the families have requested. Lori and David's request is for Water Search and Rescue efforts.