HOSTING

July 4th Sparklers Station

July 4th Sparklers Station

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...

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Easter Table Decorating Ideas

Easter Table Decorating Ideas

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...

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10 Insanely Beautiful Thanksgiving Tablescapes

10 Insanely Beautiful Thanksgiving Tablescapes

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...

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Thanksgiving Table Decor

Thanksgiving Table Decor

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...

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How to Decorate for your Christmas Mood

How to Decorate for your Christmas Mood

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.

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How to Clean Silver

How to Clean Silver

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...

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Red Carpet Cupcakes

Red Carpet Cupcakes

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...

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Friendsgiving Tablescape Inspiration

Friendsgiving Tablescape Inspiration

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...

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Completely Custom Holiday Invitations

Completely Custom Holiday Invitations

| 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...

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Halloween Around Our Home

Halloween Around Our Home

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...

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My Autumn Inspired Tablescape

My Autumn Inspired Tablescape

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...

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Pretty Patio Inspiration

Pretty Patio Inspiration

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...

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Let’s Party! Stylish Bar Carts

Let’s Party! Stylish Bar Carts

"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...

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Memorial Day Menu Ideas

Memorial Day Menu Ideas

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,...

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Sparkling White Sangria

Sparkling White Sangria

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...

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Hello Gin Gin Mule

Hello Gin Gin Mule

| 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...

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Easy and Elegant Easter Table

Easy and Elegant Easter Table

| 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...

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Holiday Beverage Bar Ideas

Holiday Beverage Bar Ideas

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...

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Gift Guide 2016: The Best Hostess Gifts

Gift Guide 2016: The Best Hostess Gifts

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...

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Happy Halloween from CT in Style!

Happy Halloween from CT in Style!

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...

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5 Halloween Treats!

5 Halloween Treats!

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...

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Individual S’Mores Desserts

Individual S’Mores Desserts

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...

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Affordable Outdoor Lighting

Affordable Outdoor Lighting

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...

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Cobb Salad Lunch

Cobb Salad Lunch

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...

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The art of flower arranging

The art of flower arranging

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!...

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Academy Awards Party Ideas – Act III

Academy Awards Party Ideas – Act III

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...

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New Year’s Eve Photos to Remember

New Year’s Eve Photos to Remember

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...

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How to make Glitter Champagne Flutes

How to make Glitter Champagne Flutes

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...

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A Chic New Year’s Eve Party

A Chic New Year’s Eve Party

{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...

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Halloween Drinks for Kids

Halloween Drinks for Kids

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...

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Greenwich WINE+FOOD Festival

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...

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Flower Arranging Tips

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...

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Dining al fresco snapshots

Dining al fresco snapshots

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...

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Creating a Welcoming Guest Bedroom

Creating a Welcoming Guest Bedroom

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...

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Erica O’Brien Cakes

Erica O’Brien Cakes

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...

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Flower Arrangements

Flower Arrangements

  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...

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Snow Day Fun & Games

Snow Day Fun & Games

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...

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Game On

Game On

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...

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Beer on Sunday

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...

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