July 4th Sparklers Station | Sparklers Station for the July 4th Holiday | Hi guys! If you are like me, you might be feeling a tiny bit unsettled about the fact that the July 4th holiday is falling on Tuesday this year. I'm not sure if anyone knows what to do with...
Easter Table Decorating Ideas Hi guys! I want to kick off the week by sharing my Easter Table from a few years ago. We are not hosting Easter Brunch this year, but I still love this tablescape I designed and hope that it will provide you with some inspiration if you...
With Thanksgiving soon approaching I am dreaming about what my Thanksgiving Tablescape could look like. Here is a link to the tablescape that I did last year in my home. I wanted something that glittered! I've rounded up 10 insanely beautiful Thanksgiving Tablescapes...
Hi guys! Are you ready? One week from now, most of us will be celebrating Thanksgiving with family and friends. I think that you'd all agree that when it comes to celebrations, Thanksgiving is the one known for gathering people around the table. It is truly a day to...
How to decorate for your Christmas Mood. Torn between two lovers. That’s how I feel about my love affair between the bright, white and ethereal Christmas decorations that bring lightness to a room – and the subdued, dark and evocative Christmas that feels seductive. When you scroll down to see the photos, you’ll know what I mean. Christmas can be cozy and playful or tailored and sophisticated.
How to Clean Silver Whenever my parents were planning on entertaining friends for a Saturday night dinner, preparations started early. After the invitations were issued and a headcount established, my Mother and Ruby (our live-in nanny, housekeeper, chef and all...
Ga-Ga Gorgeous! Red Carpet Cupcakes Tada! A surprise post on Oscar Sunday! I'm throwing back to a couple of years ago when I blogged about how to host a fabulous Oscar's Party. These red velvet cupcakes are gaining fame on Pinterest, they have been pinned 65,000...
In a previous post, I blogged about which direction I should take with my Friendsgiving Tablescape. I was debating on whether to go natural and rustic or sparkly and glamorous. In the end, I found a happy middle ground. The result is a warm and welcoming combination...
| completely custom holiday invitations | One of the best parts of the holiday season is the opportunity to get together with friends. Whether they are down the street, or coming back home for a visit - it is the perfect time for gathering. When Kerry and I entertain...
T minus one day until Halloween! I'm not sure what's happening in your part of the world, but the Northeast has been deluged with rain the past day or so. We were going to decorate the outside of our home, but we're forced to hold off. The weather is supposed to be...
Undoubtedly, one of the sublime pleasures of a dinner party is sitting at a beautifully set table. I'm fortunate to have many talented friends who feel the same way I do and now whenever we are at each other's homes, the table is part of the experience. When we attend...
I hope you had an absolutely wonderful 4th of July weekend! This holiday seemed like it went on forever (always a good thing) starting on Sunday with a beach party and sunset cocktails to watch the fireworks over the Long Island Sound. Despite how packed the beach...
"If you have to ask if it is too early to have a glass of wine...then you're an amateur and we can't be friends." Don't you just LOVE a great party? It is even better when you can actually enjoy it and be a guest at your own party. One of the ways to make entertaining...
Memorial Day Menu Ideas | "Oh say can you see..." these delicious Petit Fours from Balduccis in Westport, Connecticut | The Memorial Day weekend seems like it is approaching especially fast this year (or is it just me?). This is the weekend that kicks off summer,...
Sparkling White Sangria | Sparkling White Sangria | It was 90 degrees today people! I can't think of a sweeter way to welcome summer than with a sparkling white sangria punch. This cocktail is so delicious and refreshing. The photos say it all, it is as amazing...
| you had me at Gin Gin | I blogged a couple of weeks ago about the lovely invitation I received to visit the home of One Kings Lane, President, Debbie Propst. While I gushed about her home, one of the other things that I mentioned was the delicious Gin Gin Mule...
| empty eggshells with flowers from your garden | Easy and Elegant Easter Table A reader asked me for some advice on how to put together a pretty, but simple Easter Table. She described herself as "not very crafty" which is something that I hear a lot. I know that it...
Cutest Easter Cupcakes Ever We're changing things up a little this Easter. Instead of hosting like we did last year, we've been invited to spend it with very good friends. They always go out of their way to make any celebration wonderful by taking care of every...
The Oscars - Party Ideas! Last year, I dedicated an entire week to party ideas for the most anticipated and glamorous night in Hollywood - the Oscars! The Oscars celebrates the best films of 2016 by honoring all the women and men who made movie magic. If you...
Holiday Beverage Bar Ideas | Blood Orange Mimosa with fresh blueberries | This post is for party animals only. If you still reading, it's because you're a party animal who knows that the next two weeks are going to be crazy busy with holiday parties - yippee ki...
Gift Guide 2016: The Best Hostess Gifts (this post contains affiliate links) | nothing says "you're the best hostess ever" than a pineapple | Get your credit card warmed up and let's go shopping! I've compiled a bunch of Gift Guides for 2016 that I'll be publishing...
Crispy and Creamy Corn Casserole Thank you to Balduccis for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own. There are some traditions that I don't mess with. The Thanksgiving menu is one of them. Roast turkey and all "the fixins" must be consumed on Thanksgiving...
Happy Halloween everyone! We've got gorgeous weather for Trick or Treating in Connecticut today and our community is buzzing with excitement. One of the highlights of my day already happened when I took my 4-year old to preschool. Catherine is dressed as a little...
| Frankenstein Rice Krispies wrapped up in treat bags and tied with a bow | Hi guys, did you have a great weekend? I certainly hope so! My weekend was a little out of the ordinary - in a very fun way. I spent most of Saturday preparing for a live TV segment that aired...
Cutest Halloween Rice Krispies Treat! These little Rice Krispie pumpkins are so CHARMING! They are super easy to make, it took me less than 30 minutes and I love how they turned out. I made one small batch using a 10 ounce bag of mini marshmallows, half of a...
5 Halloween Treats! | Candy Corn Cake | I can't believe that it's been almost a year since I blogged about Halloween Treats, where has the time gone? Many of you know that my love for Halloween knows no bounds and this year I am working on a brand new roundup of...
PHOTOS! Greenwich Wine and Food Festival Post sponsored by Serendipity | Old Crow Medicine Show | Once again, I was thrilled to be invited to attend the Greenwich Wine and Food Festival this past weekend! If you have never attended this festival, you don't know what...
FLASH GIVEAWAY! 2 TICKETS to the GREENWICH WINE + FOOD FESTIVAL | last year's Hibiscus Margarita by Bodega in the South of the Border tent | SURPRISE! I'm so excited to once again offer two free tickets to the Greenwich Wine + Food Festival for Saturday, September...
Individual S'Mores Desserts Obviously, I can't get enough S'Mores! I wanted to share another alternative for serving S'Mores dessert for the July 4th holiday. If you missed the recipe for the delicious S'Mores Dip (yes, a dip!) click here. The idea behind this...
Affordable Outdoor Lighting Getting our deck ready every summer is a labor of love. There is a lot of bleaching, scrubbing and power washing involved - but it is totally worth all the elbow grease. As soon as everything has been cleaned and the cushions get put out, I...
Cobb Salad Lunch One Friday afternoon several years ago, a friend invited me and another mutual friend to lunch at her home. It was billed as a quick meal and it would be fair to say that no one anticipated that it was the beginning of something important. We...
What could be better than spending the afternoon with friends? Imagine sipping on cocktails, enjoying a delicious lunch and then having some fun with a hands-on class where you learn the art of flower arranging and you get to take your beautiful floral creation home!...
Academy Awards Party Ideas Are you ready for the Oscars? We are! Hollywood's most glamorous evening, the 88th Annual Academy Awards will begin at 7:00pm on Sunday, February 28th on ABC. If you are thinking about hosting an Academy Awards party, I've assembled some...
Welcome to day three of tips on how to host a fabulous Academy Awards Viewing Party! The Oscars are all about celebrating the best of film, whether it is the actors, the music, the directors, the screenplay writers or the cinematography - this is an evening of...
Welcome to the second day of this week-long series on ideas and tips for hosting a fabulous Academy Awards Viewing Party! The Oscar theme this year is "We all dream in gold" so I brought it. I love bringing friends together and entertaining. In yesterday's post, I...
Hollywood's most glamorous evening, the 88th Annual Academy Awards will begin at 7:00pm on Sunday, February 28th on ABC. If you are thinking about hosting an Academy Awards party, I've assembled some ideas and tips that will help inspire you! And don't think that you...
Happy New Year's Eve! To wrap up the week-long series about hosting a Chic New Year's Eve party, I wanted to share the elements needed to create memorable New Year's Eve photos! Thanks to Jess at The Confetti Bar for collaborating with me on this fun post! To set the...
These gorgeous glitter champagne flutes add instant glam to your New Year's Eve Party! Here is a quick and super easy do-it-yourself project to make your New Year's Eve celebration more festive. Using plastic or glass champagne flutes, simply spray them with spray...
{A Chic New Year's Eve Party - Ideas and Inspiration} If you celebrate Christmas, I hope that it was wonderful! We are savoring the last helpings of Christmas Dinner leftovers: prime rib sandwiches, pan-fried Brussels sprouts with crispy bacon, chicken sausage...
Happy Monday and yay! Why am I so excited? Because it is Halloween week and I've got so many fun posts planned! I can't wait to share each and every one. A couple weeks ago, I started curating some cute ideas for Halloween and when I saw this Mummy Juice Box, I had to...
Last week, I blogged about Fall Front Door Inspiration (here). I found my inspiration (yippie!) and headed to a few of the local farms in the area to hand pick the pumpkins, mums and a few other items. As I was driving home, I saw a lawn crew putting the most...
I'm still smiling after the Greenwich WINE+FOOD Festival. It surpassed my expectations on all levels from the size of the crowd (over 5,000 very happy people) to the delicious and never-ending samples of drinks and food that were generously handed out by the hundreds...
Connecticut Bloggers - CT in Style is a Connecticut-based lifestyle blog. Elevate your style. Flowers make me happy, which is why I cannot leave a supermarket without my arms or cart filled. They always make my days brighter, and it's not just because they are so...
CT in Style - A Connecticut-based lifestyle blog by Sarah O'Brien With warm weather finally here to stay, I love to dine al fresco with friends - and they love it too. Recently, a group of us gathered at my friend Lisa's home for a book club dinner and as I turned the...
CT in Style, a Connecticut-based lifestyle blog - Creating a Welcoming Guest Bedroom The official start of summer is only a few weeks away and with the kiddos out of school, this is the ideal time to host family and friends for a visit. As a child, I eagerly awaited...
CT in Style - A Connecticut-based lifestyle blog - Erica O'Brien cakes It's the first day of June and I am already daydreaming about all the glorious weddings that will take place this month. The brides-to-be have been in planning mode to ensure every detail is...
Flower Arranging - Connecticut in Style Last weekend we spent Easter with some dear friends and I wanted to bring the host and hostess a floral arrangement that I knew would go well in their newly renovated all-white kitchen with marble counter tops. I got all...
Over the next several weeks, we can absolutely plan on school delays and closings based on the wintry weather. We already have had a couple days off and I have to admit, I love snow days as much as my kids. It is an unscheduled day where we have the freedom to do...
It's Super Bowl weekend! Although I don't watch football nearly as much as I used to, I married a sports fan and every once and awhile I still enjoy watching a game. My appreciation for the game of football started in junior high school. My best friend, Shannon was a...
A couple years ago, I took a photo of this sign at Whole Foods. WooHoo! It was such a cause for celebration to be able to buy beer on a Sunday, that I actually paused for a split second to snap a photo. At long last, the state of Connecticut allowed beer to be sold...