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...
Strawberry & Avocado Salad It's a beautiful thing when superfoods come together to make something incredibly delicious. I saw a photo for a Strawberry & Avocado salad from health.com that looked so incredible, I wanted to make it. The photo was a good...
"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...
I hope that you had a wonderful weekend! Did you watch the Kentucky Derby, otherwise known as the greatest 2 minutes in sports? Be honest, was it for the horse race or for the hats? One of the things that I look forward to when there is a horse racing event are the...
| 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...
This is a serious handbag alert people. Quilted, chain bags are the must have bag this season. Coco Chanel designed the Classic Quilted 2.55 bag in the mid 1950's and while its popularity ebbs and flows, it is definitely on-trend right now. I know some of you are...
My Charleston Packing List was blush and bashful. That's code for pink and pink. I don't know what happened to me, but I got on a pink kick this year. I was invited to do a segment on News 8 CT on how to build a Mimosa Bar, and I wanted something really feminine and...
Homemade Lemon Pound Cake | homemade lemon pound cake | Some of my fondest memories as a child include coming home after school to find that my mother had been baking. Whether it was brownies, chocolate chip cookies or banana bread, homemade desserts immediately...
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...
The Best White Hot Chocolate Recipe. | the best white hot chocolate recipe with the cutest marshmallow polar bear garnish | I was first seduced by white hot chocolate at Le Rouge in Westport, Connecticut. During a visit there one day, Aarti, the chocolatier, made one...
Photos! Bartaco Westport | bartaco's ancho chile & coffee braised short rib tacos | Can you keep a secret? I've got the recipe for Bartaco's 8th Secret Taco - The Braised Short Rib Taco - and I am going to share it with you! Here's the lowdown on #bartacosecret...
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...
ROUND TWO! J. CREW NECKLACE GIVEAWAY! It's giveaway day! But first, I want to announce the winner of the first J. Crew necklace. The necklace was won by Jessie - Congratulations Jessie, I hope that you'll share some Instagram pics! Okay guys, please don't worry if you...
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...
Have Yourself a Fashionable Holiday If you haven't filled up your fridge with holiday party invitations yet, trust me, they're coming. Just like every year, your next few weeks of 2016 are going to be packed with everything from casual to semi-casual to formal holiday...
Fresh Apple Cake from Connecticut | fresh apple cake from connecticut | I think that it is important to eat seasonally and take advantage of the foods that are naturally available during certain parts of the year. We're fortunate to have a lot of farms in Connecticut...
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...
Fur Sure Ray-Ban Clubround (similar), Ralph Lauren Blouse (similar here), Lace Skirt (similar here and here), Old Navy Faux Fur Vest (similar here), brown boots. First things first. I hope that you'll vote today! Now, can we talk fur? Faux, to be clear. Dressing in...
Warm Apple Cider and Rum Float I think that wind is invigorating. It seems to me that we get a lot of it this time of year as the season changes. I imagine it's Mother Nature's way blowing away the summer. As soon as the weather begins to get chilly, I start thinking...
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...
How to make Brain Cupcakes Mmmmwaaaaaaahahahaha! As the mother of a 12-year old boy, I am very familiar with "the grosser the better." This Halloween, we are working on creating a whole new series of treats - and some of them give me the willies. If you are hosting 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...
Easy Homemade Donuts I effing love donuts. I wish I could eat them every day, especially glazed donuts. They are my weakness. Someone has to watch my girlish figure which means that donuts are a treat saved for special occasions. One such occasion came up a few weeks...
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...
Delicious Old Fashioned Recipe | Old Fashioned Cocktail featuring Lexington Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey | While we were vacationing in the Outer Banks, we had dinner at 1587, a fabulous restaurant in the historic district of Manteo on Roanoke Island, N.C. After we were...
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...
Fruit Infused Water During our 9-hour car drive home from our holiday in the Outer Banks, we stopped about halfway to spend the night at a hotel. In hindsight, I think that our kiddos could have easily handled the entire trip in one day because we break it up into...
Fresh Margarita Recipe Every summer, wine, spirit and beer companies get closer and closer to perfecting a pre-mixed margarita. Even though it's not fresh, in a pinch, it is definitely passable. However, if you won't settle for anything less than a fresh margarita, I...
fresh squeezed orange juice | orange squeezer $7.16 on Amazon| I'll get to the fresh squeezed orange juice in about 500 words, bear with me because I need to grumble first. Is it just me, or have you noticed that "fresh" fruits and vegetables don't have any flavor...
Star Biscuits and Berries with Fresh Whipped Cream This is the kissing cousin to my favorite dessert, Strawberry Shortcake (photos and recipe here). As an aside, instead of traditional birthday cake, I made Strawberry Shortcake for my Mom's birthday celebration one...
How to grill pizza on a grill My family eats pizza about once a week. Most of the time, it is the frozen variety because it is super quick and easy and everyone loves it. When I have a little extra time on my hands, I like to make pizza and there is no better time...
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...
4th of July Outfit I spent the better part of the first 10 years of my life in Jamaica, and the most my family did to celebrate the 4th of July was to watch the U.S. fireworks on TV and light sparklers in the driveway. We moved back to America in the month of June and...
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...
Maternity Dress for a Wedding | Cold Shoulder Midi Pencil Dress | My friend and fellow Junior Leaguer, Lauren, is expecting a baby this September...so so exciting! She recently turned to me for some inspiration and ideas for a maternity dress to wear to a...
Attention to Detail | London Times Seersucker Shift Dress with crochet detail | "The details are not the details, they make the design." I completely subscribe to this famous quote from Charles Eames (he's the designer of the legendary office chair). Attention to...
Lilly Pulitzer Spring 2016 | love this patriotic red (splashes of pink), white and blue for Memorial Day | I wanted to kick off this week with lots of color and there is no better place to start than with Lilly Pulitzer's vibrant collection of clothes! Today is...
Best Guacamole Recipe Ever Are you ready for Cinco de Mayo? Whether you are staying home or going out, a Cinco de Mayo celebration is not complete without guacamole. Guacamole isn't difficult to make at all, the secret is using only the freshest ingredients and...
Pina Coladas Whenever we are on vacation I completely steer away from beer and wine in favor of something special. During our last vacation in Jamaica, the resort made a delicious variation of a Jamaican Sunrise consisting of three layers of frozen fruit juice...
Instagram Giveaway! INSTAGRAM GIVEAWAY Let's start the weekend with a surprise giveaway! Enter to win this J. CREW statement necklace! Here's what you do: Follow @ctinstyle Comment on the picture Repost the picture with #giveaway Per Instagram rules, we must mention...
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...
Le Rouge Handmade Chocolates & Cafe You had me at "I'm a chocolate artisan." The center of my chocolate universe consists of Kit Kat Bars and whipped hot chocolate. Obviously very limited, but it was all about to change. I got a LinkedIn message from a woman...
Afternoon Tea Tradition My mother is British and she grew up drinking afternoon tea at a very young age. She carried on the tradition when she got married and had children, and I remember feeling very grown up when I was allowed to sit with "the ladies" and have a...
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!...