Shot of Brandi Gift Guide: Kansas, Kentucky & Louisiana

Monday, December 14, 2015





  1. A super famous fictional character was from Kansas - Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz! When I think of Dorothy, I think of this one time I dressed as Dorothy in college on a homecoming float. I think think of her unbelieveable red shoes. This ruby pair is inspired by my girl D!
  2. The graham cracker was named after Reverend Sylvester Graham who lived in Kansas. When I think of graham crackers, I think of s’mores. This is a pretty rad fire pit cookout kit that includes a s’mores basket!
  3. Pizza Hut opened its first store in Kansas. Seriously. Who wouldn’t want a gift card to Pizza Hut?! A cute gift for a college student would be a “Netflix & Chill” package - a gift card to Netflix, pizza and some comfy clothes (and yes, I know what Netflix & Chill really means).







  1. There are more barrels of bourbon in Kentucky than people. A bottle of alcohol is totally a good gift for anyone that likes to imbibe in a cocktail here and there. Kentucky is home to Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, and Woodford Reserve just to name a few.
  2. Arguably the most famous horse race is the Kentucky Derby. This is totally a bucket list event, so I must recommend tickets to the race (2).
  3. If you are going to the Derby, you need a Derby hat (3) and you need to drink a mint julep. But if you can’t be there, you can still wear your hat while you burn a mint julep candle!



  1. Louisiana is super famous for its Mardi Gras celebration. The iconic drink of the party is the hurricane. If you can’t make it to NOLA in February, but want to host your own bead-throwing party, make it authentic with hurricane glasses.
  2. Instagram recently released their list of the most Instagramed restaurants in the United States. Topping the list was Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans. If you can’t make it there, but know someone that loves NOLA food you are in luck! Cafe Du Monde ships its famous beignet mix!
  3. Another famous dish from Louisiana is the Crawfish Boil. You can now ship the authentic meal courtesy of Goldbely.
  4. I need to mention Louisiana jeweler Mignon Faget because she is a fellow Chi Omega and I own one of her rings. The initial necklaces are a good gift at a great price point!