Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Southern Style Shopping At Draper James

A while back we were visiting family in the beautiful city of Lexington, Kentucky.  Lexington is known as the "Horse Capital of the World."  One does not have to drive very far in any direction to be able to see the beautiful scenic rolling hills of this region known as the heart of horse and blue grass country.

If you would like to see a previous post of this area you can click on:


After enjoying the scenic backroads of Lexington we decided to do a little sightseeing at a nearby shopping attraction we had heard about called The Summit at Fritz Farm.

This new upscale outdoor shopping complex was recently built on 60 acres of what was once the Fritz Farm.  This Farm has been in one family since the Revolutionary War.  Mr. Fritz, when interviewed, tells that he saw new transformation coming, especially since one of the main roads through the city, Man o' War, was constructed right in the middle of the family farm years ago.  The family has plans to relocate to another farming area located outside the city.

So, The Summit at Fritz Farm was transformed form historical farm land to an amazing shopping mecca.

One of the new stores in the area we especially wanted to visit is seen in the below photo.



Reese Witherspoon, a well known actress decided to open this lovely store in honor of her Southern grandparents.  If you would like to see her website where she describes in detail how she chose to open this shopping experience you can click on the link below:

https://www.draperjames.com/about-us/


Miss Witherspoon tells us that she combined a part of her grandmother and grandfather's names to create the Draper James name for her new stores, which can be found in the Southern cities of Atlanta, Georgia, Nashville, Tennessee and now Lexington, Kentucky.


Miss Witherspoon tells us that that her grandparents taught her everything about gracious Southern living.  She says that from them she learned how to dress and act like a lady, take pride in her home, reach out to help a neighbor and always invite everyone in for a visit.


The feel of Southern hospitality is felt as you enter Draper James.  I loved the inviting
blue chair just in case you wanted to "sit a spell."


And, as soon as we walked in the door we were asked if we would like a glass
of "sweet tea," which is a totally Southern drink to offer guests.
Southern Hospitality at it's best.


In the following photos we see some of the items available in this beautiful shop.




The goal of Draper James is to bring contemporary, yet timeless
Southern style to your wardrobe and your home, no matter where you live.























The below book looked so interesting I checked Amazon.com for a review:


Whether you live below the Mason Dixon Line or just wish you did, The Southerner’s Handbook is your guide to living the good life. Curated by the editors of the award-winning Garden & Gun magazine, this compilation of more than 100 instructional and narrative essays offers a comprehensive tutorial to modern-day life in the South.
From Food and Drink to Sporting & Adventure, Home & Garden to Style, Arts & Culture, you'll discover essential skills and unique insight from some of the South’s finest writers, chefs, and craftsmen—including the secret to perfect biscuits, how to wear seersucker and to the right way to fall off of a horse.
You'll also find: Roy Blount Jr. on telling a great story; Julia Reed on the secrets of throwing a great party; Jonathan Miles on drinking like a Southerner; Jack Hitt on the beauty of cooking a whole hog; John T Edge on why Southern food matters; and much more.
As flavorful, authentic, and irresistible as the land and the people who inspire it, The Southerner's Handbook is the ultimate guide to being a Southerner (no matter where you live).


And, below are more books seen in Draper James.




There is a special breed of charm and grace that is signature to the American South.   Draper James reflects that beautiful Southern spirit and they told us that they hoped we will stop in to see them often.


The beautiful young ladies in Draper James were so sweet when I asked them if I could
take photos with the thought in mind of sharing them on Sweet Southern Days.

Miss Witherspoon's grandmother taught her:

Be charming if you can;
witty if you must.
But always have grace.


I wanted to be sure of the definition of the word "grace" so I asked Mr. Webster for the exact definition and he said it is several things:  Simple elegance, refinement, poise, dignity, honor, considerate, thoughtful, kind and courteous.  Wow! That one little word "grace" is packed full of inspiration.

Thank you for stopping by for a visit today. Wishing you many blessings and much happiness as we move on into the second week of this New Year 2018.


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