Maiden Alley Night at the Oscars

Y'all, this was WAY fun last year, with the red carpet, paparazzi, Oscartinis, Artisan Kitchen hors d'oeuvres, DJ Urban Kobbb and DJLJ — oh, right, and the Oscars on the big screen! So get glammed up (we've got best dressed awards!) and come support Maiden Alley Cinema, Paducah's incredible independent theatre. Tix are $30 — or just $50 if you buy two. And cast your votes! The person who picks the highest number of Oscar winners gets a cool prize! We have all the scoop here.

Eat Your Veggies!

The Amish Vegetable Cooperative meeting was last Saturday at Etcetera, but it's not too late if you're interested in signing up. I so enjoyed reading Suzanne Clinton's experiences with the program that I couldn't wait to sign up. And I DON'T EVEN COOK. Maybe this will inspire me to do more in the kitchen than make coffee and martinis. Want in on the fun? Click the image above to enlarge and download the contract! For more info, contact the lovely Jo Dortch.

Breaking the Ice Emcees: AJ and Laura K

We've been getting great response to our Breaking the Ice Singles Mixer and Speed Dating event, set for 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 27, at Harrah's! This is SUCH a great event — and look who the emcees are! It's handsome AJ from Electric 96.9 and gorgeous Laura K of Laura K Style! They'll be keeping the evening hoppin', and AJ will spin some of the coolest party tunes. Y'all, this is a really fun event with great giveaways like a $100 gift certificate to The Range Steakhouse and tickets (with meet and greet passes) to an upcoming Harrah's concert. So sign up and give it a try. You never know who you might meet!

Green Turtle Bay Wedding Winners

Super cute! Congratulations to Cheslie Watkins and Ross Howard. The couple won Green Turtle Bay's Wedding giveaway, which we've promoted here on this blog and through a lovely banner ad on iList Paducah. The two win an amazing wedding package complete with a full day rental of the resort's gorgeous pavilion and conference center, wedding coordinator, decorations, catered reception, cake, champagne flutes, oh la la bridal condo for two nights, a one-year anniversary stay and more! Cheslie's "papa Robert" grew up on his family's farm, which once sat where the GTB Boat Rental Office is today. "Having him walk me down the aisle at a place so close to where he once called home would be a dream come true," Cheslie wrote in her essay. Super cute! Interested in a Green Turtle Bay wedding of your own? Just call Brian McDonald, 800.498.0428, and he'll hook you up! Or just looking for a great Valentine's weekend? Call the same number for a luxury condo, dinner for two at Commonwealth Yacht Club, candles, roses, champagne and chocolates, starting at $199! (Massage options, as well.)

A Little Sump'in Sump'in from Medical Spa 7

Attention anyone wanting to buy their fave gals Valentine's gifts: WE LOVE Medical Spa 7! Manis, pedis, massages, facials, ANYTHING! A certificate, better yet, certificateS, and a little TLC will go a verrrrry long way. We promise.

Reaffirming Vows

Is this the cutest thing ever? All married folk are invited to reaffirm the ol' wedding vows, 10:15 a.m., at Westminster Presbyterian, 28th and B'way, on Valentine's Day. Love LOVE! RSVP to 443.2919 or just show up. Very sweet.

Martin Fierro: Valentine's Dinner for Two, $69.95

You all, Nestor Nunez's cooking is AMAZING. His meats, of course, are to DIE for at Martin Fierro, and I'm a huge fan of his salmon. Everything is extremely good, so if you're looking for a Valentine's dinner out, either Saturday, Feb. 13, or Sunday, Feb. 14 — or both! — make your reservations now, 270.408.1300. Martin Fierro is offering dinner for two for just $69.95 — totally reasonable for a lovely night out. And don't forget the Valentine's gifts! William Sledd offers these no-fail tips sure to win her heart!

Lourdes' Mardi Gras: Tuesday, Feb. 16!

Break out your boas and beads — it’s time for Mardi Gras & All That Jazz, the Lourdes Foundation’s annual big fundraising bash! This year’s party is set for 6-9 p.m., Fat Tuesday, Feb. 16, at Harrah’s Metropolis Hotel. Hottie rockers Lew Jetton & 61 South are back by popular demand to liven up the party with their blues and southern rock. There’s the annual auction of Bill Ford’s original, collector’s item artwork. And satisfy your Cajun cravings with gourmet foods from popular restaurants and caterers throughout the region. We've got the full list and ticket scoop on iList Paducah! And check out our darling iDate of the Week: That's Melissa Vinson. She does all the fabulous decorations for Mardi Gras. Meet her here!

Wine Tasting/Auction Features Ky. Wine Doc, Dr. Tom Cottrell

Plans are fermenting for the annual Wine Tasting and Auction set for Thursday, April 15, at the Carson Center. Featured wine expert: Kentucky's own Dr. Tom Cottrell, known as the Wine Doc. Dr. Cottrell has started and perfected Napa Valley wineries since 1970, and today consults for the wine industry based out of his lab in Winchester, Ky. Dr. Cottrell will be host/expert/teacher at the Grand Tasting, which is part of the event. These are extremely fun small, seated, educational tastings of four top wines. So be sure to reserve your spot by calling 443.9932, x240. The overall event will, as usual, feature fantastic wine and gourmet food — we'll post all the scoop on the Wine Tasting and Auction event page shortly. And, of course, the auction part will again be fab! There's a new Bill Ford painting of the front of the Carson Center (above, used on the event's save the date card) and a signed and numbered, limited edition giclée on canvas from world famous artist Thomas Arvid, who visited the center recently and wanted to do something to show his support. The auction includes items for every budget — how about a Foreigner poster autographed by the members of Foreigner? By the way — the Carson Center is in need of great bottles of wine for the auction. So have a look at your cabinet, wine fridge, wine cellar or, for you fah fah fah folks, wine cave, and cough up a couple of bottles for a very good cause. I love the Carson Center — it's big, impressive and we're awful lucky to have it. But it doesn't just sit over there bottling up money. It's a nonprofit organization that depends on our personal investments. With that, sponsor tables run $1,000 to $2,500, with $50 for general admission. The Grand Tasting is an additional $40 — or just $25 per person for sponsors. For tix, contact Debbie Wattier, 443.9932, x240. See you there!

Speed Dating is BACK!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this event! It's our 2nd Annual Breaking the Ice Singles Mixer & Speed Dating, which iList Paducah co-hosts with our friends at Harrah's Metropolis. The big night is set for 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 27 at Harrah's, and it's absolutely free. Just sign your cute, single self up and get ready for a really nice, stress-free night of minute-and-a-half, let's see if there's a spark "dates." Click here and you'll go to our event/sign-up page... ...where you'll find how it all works as well as a registration form that the lovely Laura K will use to plan out the evening. Y'all, last year's event was a HUGE success — here's the photographic proof. And love connections were, indeed made — more on that fun topic later.... If you just want to mix and mingle, that's fine. The speed dating is optional, but if you do it, you might win free stuff like a $100 gift certificate to The Range Steakhouse and tickets (with meet and greet passes) to an upcoming Harrah's concert. So sign up and give it a try. We promise you'll have a great time, and you never know who you might meet unless you put on something cute and go! (21 and older, please.)

3 Pairs of Return to the '50s Tix!

UPDATE: And the winners are Bill Fox, Thom Clarks and Eva Adams! Thanks so much for your emails and Facebook responses! I'll send you the vouchers shortly. Have fun! iList Paducah has three pairs of Return to the '50s tickets at Harrah's Metropolis — either for 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 12 or for 2 or 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 13 — perfect for pre-Valentine's Day! Want 'em? Use the comment button (be sure to include your email address) or send an email. We'll hold a random drawing and announce the winners here Friday, Feb. 5. For more on Return to the '50s and the upcoming Jim Stafford show, visit our special event page!

Get Fit for Local Food Banks

We revised our top banner ad on iList Paducah — LOVE Energy Fitness! The gym has been a longtime supporter of iList Paducah, so we're always eager to help promote all the great things going on there. Right now, Energy Fitness is doing something exceptionally nice. The gym will donate $9 worth of groceries to local food banks for every new member joining in February. They're setting up information tables at the New Holt Road and Midtown locations today, so please stop by and sign up — $39 gets you a membership at both locations. Existing members are invited to drop off food donations. And each Friday, staff members will shop for groceries based on how many members join that week. Rock on, Energy Fitness! Another great reason to work up a sweat!

Sulli's Launches Tasty New Web Site

Sulli's Steakhouse, our iLove it column sponsor on iList Paducah, launched a new Web site the other week, and warning, it's gonna make your tastebuds water up. The address is, conveniently, sullissteakhouse.com, and features the lunch and dinner menus (I'm a fan of the Chicken Fried Chicken), the hours and location (y'all, it's the old B. Russell's, 900 North 32nd St.) and a sign up for Sulli's VIP Club (for first notice of cool offers). There's also a section for Russell's Bar (featuring nightly entertainment by Mark Dowdy and bartender/iAdvise columnist Jody Suhrheinrich) and a Specials section (promoting things like 99 cent Spaghetti Night on Mondays and Energy Fitness Member Mondays). By the way, the menu includes plenty of Energy Fit items! There's also a photo gallery. Casual, classy and locally owned — call up for reservations or just drop in! 444.9700.

Welcome, Barkley Regional Airport!

We love Barkley Regional Airport and are thrilled to have Barkley as our newest iList Paducah sponsor! We're so lucky to have an airport in Paducah, and it's fixin' to get even better with United Express coming in! Starting Thursday, Feb. 11, United Express will offer two round trips per day to Chicago/O’Hare and then on to an additional 150 domestic and 19 international destinations. Just use united.com to make reservations.

Jennifer Wyatt's Fabulous First Friday!

Every day's gotta be fabulous when you're Jennifer Wyatt. Beauty, brains, charm, enthusiasm — and always fabulously well-accessorized! Find out how she does it at her Fabulous First Friday Trunk Show, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., this Friday, Feb. 5. And tune in for her Life Coach Live radio show, 9:30 a.m., each Wednesday at Life Talk AM 1450! Email her with questions and she'll answer them on the air!

Laura K's Ooh La La Moment

Who needs Harry Winston or Fred Leighton when we have the fab Michelson Jewelers right here in Paducah? Michelson loaned the lovely Laura K a pair of Reflections earrings and Whimsical Spiral pendant from the Hearts of Fire collection to model at the Paducah Chamber Annual Meeting the other night. DARLING! Valentine's Day is around the corner, so get thee to Michelson and PURCHASE a BAUBLE or two for your someone special. We like baubles. Or two.

Forget the Snow! It's Desserts First!

It's gonna take a whole lot more than a little snow to keep folks away from the 2nd Annual Girl Scouts Desserts First fundraiser at the Carson Center. The stage was packed Saturday night as folks tasted amazing concoctions by local chefs using Girl Scout cookies as ingredients. Here's a look (photos by John Paul Henry) at the winning chefs! Dulce de Awesome — a chocolate rum mousse with Dulce de Leche cookies, bananas and caramel, made by... ...first place winner John Myrick of Kirchhoffs! Samoa Cheesecake made by second place winner, the lovely Laura Duff! These Berry Crazy Shortbread Tarts made with Trefoils won... ...the People's Choice award for Jean Rhodes of Etcetera Coffeehouse — Justin Raye obviously agrees! Here are a few more: An amazing tart from Josh (The Baker) Ryan at Kirchhoffs... Everyone loves Karla Lawrence of Artisan Kitchen — look how cute... ...little swans! Darling! di Fratelli's chef Ken White whipped up Peanut Butter Bon Bons... ...and Don Barger of Kirchhoff's made this incredible chocolate cake. Judge Cynthia Sanderson won the top appetizer prize for her incredible brushetta. Congrats to everyone — and to Aretta Terry and the Girl Scouts for putting on another great-tasting event! See all John's photos here!

Earn 70 Percent From Your Closet!

I'm a huge fan of Tina White. You might recall that we shared her very sweet story on iList Paducah last summer. Tina contracted a very dangerous and unusual illness soon after giving birth to little Naarah in December 2007. With the love and support of husband Patrick and the rest of her family and friends, she has made an amazing recovery — and she's eager to get back in action. Back in action she is, working with the equally lovely Debbie Pea on a new upscale family consignment shop called On Treasure After Another. If you're interested in participating, visit the site for more details. You'll receive 70 percent of each item she sells for you. Questions? Contact the fabulous Tina, 444.8315. Congrats, Tina, and good luck!

Hooray for Beer! And Laura Duff!

Something New: Dodgeball!

Yay! We love new! The Easter Seals of West Kentucky is gearing up for a Dodgeball Tournament fundraiser Saturday, April 17, at the Sportsplex. Want in? Download the registration form and contact the lovely Sarah B. Roman, 270.444.9687.

Valentine's at Martin Fierro

It's never too early to think about Valentine's Day — or, more specifically, Valentine's Night dinner! Make reservations at Martin Fierro for a great meal that weekend! (The rest is up to you!)

5 Pairs of Legends in Concert Tix!

UPDATE: Just in from Harrah’s: Legends Concert is ON this weekend — snow or invisible snow! Congrats to ticket winners Lourdes Spencer, Patricia Suzanne Mogan Dean, Leslie Cole Thorn, Sharon Anderson and Monica Massie! We'll email your vouchers shortly! iList Paducah has five pairs of Legends in Concert tickets at Harrah's Metropolis — either for Friday, Jan. 29 or Saturday, Jan. 30. Want 'em? Use the comment button (be sure to include your email address) or send an email. We'll hold a random drawing and announce the winners here Thursday. For more on Legends and all the Best of Branson shows coming to Harrah's, visit our special event page!

God's Favorite Opens Feb. 4 at MHT!

Rehearsals are under way for the very funny Neil Simon comedy, God's Favorite, which opens at Market House Theatre Thursday, Feb. 4. The show plays Feb. 4-7 and Feb. 11-14. Above, that's Tom Dolan, middle, as Long Island business tycoon Joe Benjamin in this modern-day story of Job. To his right are Allyson Tracy and Landon Baker (playing Joe's twins Ben and Sarah) and Joey Judd, playing oldest son David. To the far left: Dvonne Miller and Steve Schwetman playing maid and butler Mady and Morris. And seated is Lisa Humphrey as Joe's high-maintenance wife Rose. The show also stars Al Knudsen playing Sydney Lipton, who claims to be a messenger of God. Tom and Al played these same roles in MHT's 1996 production. Diane Byrd directs, with Valerie Pollard as assistant director. "This show is extremely funny," Al says. "Be sure to wear rubber pants when you come." Tickets are on sale now!

Drumroll...Hearts of Saints Unveils New Album!

Woo-Hoo! Our famous friends, Hearts of Saints, are jammin' today with the release of their new self-titled album, now available on iTunes and Amazon. Links are on their Web site, and I'm thrilled that my favorite songs Over and Over and Nothing Else are both on it. Also love their newest song, The Secret. I just downloaded it and am bopping around my chair as I type! How exciting! To celebrate, Hearts of Saints is giving away a free iPod Touch! Congratulations to LJ Granstaff, Craig Felker, Jason Killebrew and Joel Purdy! Right on!

The Drowsy Chaperone, Get Tix for Tonight!

Two thumbs up and several big belly laughs for The Drowsy Chaperone at the Carson Center! My pal Stacy Brown and I so enjoyed it last night — a big, big recommend if you're looking to warm up your laugh cords. The stunningly talented cast (including Britt Hancock as Feldzieg, above) performs again tonight at 7:30 p.m. Never heard of it? Think the title is, well, a big yawn? Evidently, lots of other folks have heard of it — the show won five Tony awards when it opened on Broadway in 2006 — the most Tony awards of any musical that year. It was nominated for 13. And rightfully so. It's constant fun, with gorgeous costumes, a clever set and a Broadway-caliber cast with beautiful voices, spot-on comedic timing, a good bit of dancing and just an all-around sense of fun. It's billed as a comedy within a musical and a show within a show. The curtains open to a present-day, though a bit shabby, living room, with an old-school musical theatre-adoring (not so much the new stuff), oversized-cardigan-wearing commentator, simply called "Man in Chair" sitting in his armchair. He's struggling with a case of the blues ("non-specific sadness"), so he breaks out his favorite remedy — his LP record of the (fictitious) 1928 musical, The Drowsy Chaperone. After the overture ("musical appetizer"), The Drowsy Chaperone cast comes to life, bursting through his refrigerator, window and Murphy bed doors. And his dingy apartment is transformed into an ever-changing Broadway set. Man in Chair then guides us through the show, inserting adoring and inside observations along with a sprinkling of cynical "I hate this scene"-types of critiques. He even joins in on a few dance numbers himself. We watch the story unfold of a beautiful Broadway starlet willing to give up the spotlight to marry her handsome fiancé. Her producer connives to bust the whole thing up to keep her in his show (or else the two pun-happy gangsters posing as bakers will give him his "just desserts"). There's mistaken identity, mayhem, spit takes, smoking tap dancing shoes and more vaudeville-meets-stunning stage production action as the 17 wonderful characters take us back to the times of the Ziegfeld Follies, the Marx Brothers, Fred and Ginger, George and Gracie and the rest of the glamorous gang. "The show has such fun characters, and it pays homage to those jazz-age musicals that you don’t see very much any more," says Britt Hancock, who plays the producer, Feldzieg — like Ziegfeld, just a little backward. "I saw it on Broadway in 2006, fell in love with it and knew I wanted to do it." Stacy and I were both in awe of the "Show Off" number, where the starlet magically appears in costume after costume in seemingly seconds. That red get-up was to die for. And I loved the ending with Trix, the Aviatrix. You gotta be a real grumpy crank-a-rama not to at least get a good chuckle during this show. Look, it's fixin' to get cold again. Snow's a-comin'. We're all worried about another power outage (you'll be reminded of that at one point during the show). And tax time is around the corner. So get your tix for tonight and stock up on some laughter, energy and fun. Plus, it's always good to get a firsthand reminder of how lucky we are to have a beautiful performing arts center right in our own backyard. And if you go to Tribeca beforehand, there's $4 margaritas.

No Better Time to Start a Business in Paducah

I'm a big fan of Terry Reeves and EntrePaducah, and I'm always flattered whenever he says sweet things about Nikki and me. He was an early supporter and sponsor of iList Paducah when he worked at Dippin' Dots. And now, as the EntrePaducah concierge, he spends his days helping local entrepreneurs get their ideas up and running. I mentioned EntrePaducah when Nikki and I received our Chamber award the other night. I truly believe that if you have an idea for a business here, there's just no better time to start than now. Especially with a great resource like EntrePaducah available to give free guidance and support. All you have to do is send Terry an email or give a call, 443.1746, to set up an appointment. In fact, I'm meeting with Terry Thursday to brainstorm a few ideas. And check out the next EntreForum is 4:45 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 2, at WKCTC's Emerging Technology Center. This program will preview course offerings in Human Resources Management, Marketing and Financial Managment for non-financial managers. We added the EntrePaducah logo to our site. So you can always get to the EntrePaducah site from ours, or just bookmark it. Terry's blog is very helpful, as well, and, of course, he's on Facebook and Twitter. He's awesome like that.

A Romantic Valentine's Getaway

Valentine's weekend is three weeks away! Make your reservations for this special weekend package at Green Turtle Bay Resort, 800.498.0428, pick up a sparkly bauble at Michelson Jewelers, write a sweet card and voilá, let the lovin' begin!

Our New iAdvise Column

We have a new column on iList Paducah — it's called iAdvise, and it's written by one of our most popular iDates, cute, cute, cute Jody Suhrheinrich. Jody, who in absolutely no way is qualified to give out any sort of professional advice, does so anyway. You'll find her on the left side of our site. Click her lovely photo or text link and you'll go to the page above. If you've got a burning question, send it to Jody. Chances are good that she'll answer it, and you'll likely get a little belly laugh out of it. Jody is very funny. Jody has already attracted a sponsor to the page. A prominent downtown attorney, who wishes to remain anonymous and who also happens to be very funny, has purchased a sponsor box, top right, for Paducah Cooperative Ministry, which happens to be run by Jody's mom Heidi. So check out the box and click over to PCM's lovely Web site. The organization does wonderful work for those in need, and we're thrilled to add PCM to this fun page. We have room on the page for real experts, too! You'll see that we have a little Ask a Trainer piece this week featuring Lona Culbertson of Energy Fitness. So if you've got some expertise on something that you'd like to share, let us know and we'll try to work you in! Super cute. Thanks, Jody! And thanks prominent downtown attorney!

Mardi Gras in Metropolis!

Break out your boas and beads — it’s time for Mardi Gras & All That Jazz, the Lourdes Foundation’s annual big fundraising bash! This year’s party is set for 6-9 p.m., Fat Tuesday, Feb. 16, at Harrah’s Metropolis Hotel. Hottie rockers Lew Jetton & 61 South are back by popular demand to liven up the party with their blues and southern rock. There’s the annual auction of Bill Ford’s original, collector’s item artwork. And satisfy your Cajun cravings with gourmet foods from popular restaurants and caterers throughout the region. We've got the full list and ticket scoop on iList Paducah!

Daniel Baine Wins Groovalooo Contest!

Daniel Baine, 21, of Herron, Ill., hip hopped his way into a featured role in Thursday's Groovaloo performance at the Carson Center, 7:30 p.m.! The local dance contest was held Saturday, May 21, at Kentucky Oaks Mall, sponsored by the Carson Center and Electric 96.9, with hunky AJ in the Morning as the emcee. We'll post the video highlights shortly so you can actually see Daniel — and the two Groovaloo dancers with him — in action. The dancers, Little Bob and Double O, were the judges. Actually, better yet, see them all in action Thursday! I hear Groovaloo is like A Chorus Line meets Stomp, with the show telling the real stories of each performer. Tix start at $25, with a $10 student discount. Photo by Bill Fox of the Carson Center. For more photos, visit his Fox Fotography Web site!

Bill Fox's Foreigner Fotos

Bill Fox has the coolest job ever. He works at the Carson Center and, as part of his gig, he gets to take photos at all the events and shows. Here are a few from the best concert ever — Foreigner — which performed Friday, Jan. 22. DJUK wrote a really nice review of Foreigner prior to the show. That's my new friend Jeff Pilson — I got to interview him by phone a few weeks ago. DARLING. Mick Jones, the group's founder. Incredibly awesome at 66. Lead singer Kelly Hansen — hot-blooded, no doubt about it. And drummer Brian Tichy, who bounces his drum stick off his snare, it ricochets upward at least 50 feet and he catches it on the way down without even looking. Amazing. For more Bill Fox Fotos, visit his Fox Fotography Web site!