You Can Call Me Toro Before I met and married Kerry, I was an unattached, single woman. I had recently moved back home to Connecticut, bought my first fixer upper (that I was going to fix up myself) and accepted a new career with a demanding 12-hour day job. When I...
HOTTER THAN SUMMER 18 Sexy Beach Book Reads That Rival the Sun On a warm afternoon in late summer of 2012, I was walking to Grand Central to catch a train home after a day-long business meeting. I noticed a bookstore and made a split-second decision to pop in to see...
Best Gifts for Teenage Boys - A couple of weeks ago, my daughter, Catherine, gleefully presented me with a neatly typed list of gift ideas for Christmas. The moment the calendar flipped to December and "Charm" her Elf on the Shelf arrived, her little fingers were...
September 24th, 2022 Dearest Amanda, How is it that I have lived a year without you my sweet girl? I think about you every day, many times a day actually. You are part of so many touch points in my life and I can't escape you, not that I would ever want to. The...
| Kerry and me at the beach | One of the most romantic and unforgettable things that my husband has ever done was to ask me if I wanted to watch a movie. This may not sound like a big deal unless you understand what happened. When Kerry and I were first dating, he was...
Proof of Life Hello my friends. I am feeling better, thank you for hanging in there with me. I have perhaps one or two more cathartic blog posts to write about my mother and sister, and then will close the chapter on their lives. I cannot continue to dwell on their...
The Day Amanda Died | The O'Brien women: Sarah, Marlene and Amanda | Behind every strong person is a story that gave them no choice. September 24th, 2021 "She looks beautiful" my niece said. I glanced at my unconscious sister whose almost black hair contrasted starkly...
Amanda O'Brien Obituary | Amanda and her daughter, Devon | It has been a month since Amanda died and I feel physically sick with grief. The week that I knew she was going to die, I got an EKG. My chest hurt so bad. The doctor said my heart was fine for something that...
| Amanda O'Brien | Even though it has been 10 days since my sister died, the scent of burnt sage still lingers in my nose. I would have imagined by now that it would have dissipated, but every time I inhale I get a whiff of smoke. It’s smoke mixed with other things,...
| My mother and me in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica | This is the third of three posts about being the daughter of a narcissistic mother. The first post is HERE, the second post is HERE. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. A Play in Three Acts by Sarah O’Brien. Act Three:...
This is the second of three posts about being the daughter of a narcissistic mother. The first post is HERE. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. A Play in Three Acts by Sarah O’Brien. Act Two: The Bad | Mother's Day 2009, New York City | My mother died two years ago and...
Marlene O'Brien, Jamaica Beauty Queen, Dies at 83 Prologue: I am writing this post in the hours before my mother, Marlene Milnes-Fenton O'Brien, has died. Her death is eminent and I need to get my words out. She has been ill with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease...
2020 has been a year. Amirite? Yeah I am. Dealing with COVID-19 has forced me to scrutinize almost every aspect of my life. I've paused and pondered about how to safely and effectively manage every aspect of our lives, our home, and our livelihoods. Some decisions...
The Best Books of 2020! It is time to start shopping for yourself or for someone on your gift-giving list. This blog post is dedicated to my fellow book lovers with whom I share a passion to read. Today, I want to share a list of the best books of 2020 in each of the...
ultimate fall bucket list Hey everyone! Happy first day of fall, otherwise known as my favorite season of the year! It's hard for me to pinpoint why I love autumn so much, the reasons are too numerous. You know you are in good company when your favorite time of the...
Dear friends, While this blog is primarily for sharing lifestyle content, I do occasionally use this platform to discuss matters of the heart. Today, I am blogging about the murder of George Floyd. Today, I will not be neutral to this injustice. Today, I am blogging...
Closet Organization Tips I have to confess, I'm a little bummed that January is coming to an end. It's one of my most productive months of the year to get things done around the house. After the hustle of the holiday season - that basically runs from Thanksgiving to...
Few things are more alluring than Christmas in Connecticut and I have the stats to prove it. Today's post is about how I drew over 1 Million views a month to a simple Pinterest Board. There is no doubt that Connecticut represents iconic New England Style. What's...
One of my favorite ways to kick off the holiday season is to visit a tree farm and cut down our Christmas Tree. If this sounds appealing to you, at the end of this post is a list of Tree Farms in Connecticut. Traditionally, we get our tree on the Sunday after...
You had me at Pumpkin Spice! It's finally here. In addition to the beautiful colors and flavors of the season, for me, fall brings a new routine. October is probably my favorite month (anyone else?). One of the many reasons that I love it is because of the dramatic...
Best Books to Read this Summer I can't believe it's July! I'm not sure about you, but for us, summer really doesn't feel like it is in full swing until our annual July 4th beach party. It happens this week and helps kick off summer - and all the wonderful things that...
"Speak to your children as if they are the wisest, kindest, most beautiful humans on Earth, for what they believe is what they will become." - Brooke Hampton | The Awesome Responsibility of Raising a Girl | Catherine turned seven today. We've been blissfully coasting...
Hi guys! At long last I am finally getting around to blogging about my appearance on the Rachael Ray Show! Today, I am going to give you all the details of how this happened including the behind the scenes photos and a link to the Rachael Ray TV Show segment if you...
Hey guys! The end of the year is always a great time to reflect on what's been working well for you - and areas that need to improve. I've set some lofty goals for 2019, one of which is to spend more time blogging about the things that my blogsite is "telling me" you...
Hi friends! It feels surreal that my blog turned FOUR yesterday! Today, I am taking a look back at 2018 with a round up of my top five highlights in both my personal life and blogging world. It's been my busiest year ever and I can't wait to see what 2019 brings! One...
That smile you see is from pure excitement. I've blogged about the Greenwich Wine and Food Festival for several years because it is easily one of my most favorite Connecticut events. This year will mark the fourth year in a row that I've attended and I am especially...
TICKETS! Connecticut's Most Fun Boat Show I know it's only Monday, but I am so excited for this weekend! In addition to the Greenwich Wine and Food Festival, Connecticut's most fun boat show is also taking place this weekend! It's the perfect family friendly day on...
The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze, CT in Style I am partly in disbelief and partly thrilled. Halloween is a long two months away, but today, I bought tickets to the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze. If you live in CT, NY or NJ (the tri-states) The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze is...
2018 Greenwich Wine + Food Festival secures Country Star Tim McGraw Hello Connecticut Friends! Dust off your hat and polish your boots. You'll be needing them. The Greenwich Wine + Food Festival has booked Country Singer Mega Star, Tim McGraw to the festival this...
I am so excited to collaborate with paperless post, all opinions are my own Hi friends - especially the ones in Connecticut! I'm so thrilled about the Fresh Flower Bar launch party this Thursday! If you live in Connecticut and have time, please stop into my floral...
| Meghan Markle arrives at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle for her wedding to Prince Harry. Saturday May 19, 2018 | Like all other Royal "watchers" I was eagerly anticipating the wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. I'm obsessed with all the royal...
The Essential Spring Cleaning Checklist Let's get something straight. I don't want to write this blog post anymore than you want to read it. I do not like to clean. I'll even let you in on a little secret. My vacuum cleaner has more dust on it than inside it. I only...
Over the past eighteen months, I've been working on a project that I have been dying to tell you about - and today I can finally share the news! Introducing the Fresh Flower Bar I'm thrilled to announce the launch of the Fresh Flower Bar, Connecticut's newest floral...
10 Really Cool Life Hacks | thread a necklace through a straw to keep it from getting tangled | Thanks to Pinterest, I stumbled across Life Hacks a few years ago and became fascinated with them. Every time I saw a new hack, my reaction was either "Where have you been...
I'm a pacer, like my Dad. I walk back and forth when something is on my mind. My Dad paced so much that he wore a narrow trail in the carpet straight through to the backing. I've been pacing in our dining room. This laptop, the very one I am typing on right now has...
Most Romantic Restaurants in CT | date night last summer with my handsome hubby | Valentine's Day is around the corner! One of the sweetest ways to show your love is to plan ahead by doing something special. Time together is always the best gift and the options vary...
As promised, I am doing a Giveaway for the Guys! Just in time for Valentine's Day, I'm giving away an amazing set of beard grooming products by PRORASO. Why? Because beards are making a come back! And, I have a lot of guys that read my blog and I wanted to give them a...
February in Connecticut can get bitterly cold. When the winter weather arrives and the heat gets cranked up, it is time for me to make an adjustment to my daily skin care products. My routine remains mostly the same, I just switch out a few of the spring/summer...
Hi guys! I stumbled across some really pretty calendar cards and it has inspired me to write about the blog highlights at the end of every month. It's kind of like my Favorite Things weekly series that I post every Friday. But, instead of recapping the week, I will be...
A decade ago, I was traveling home from a business trip to California. It was a long flight from LAX to JFK and I dozed. I awoken to the voice of the captain announcing that we were beginning our initial descent. After the usual reminders to put up our seats...
Happy Friday and welcome to My Biggest Beauty Product Give Away! It's the last day of my giveaway in celebration of Connecticut in Style turning three and this is a really good one. But first, a personal story that made me so happy. Recently, I ran into a friend at a...
Hi friends! It's time for the next giveaway. This item has relaxation written all over it. It's made for winter weekends, lounging in front of the fireplace, cappuccino, and books that you can't put down. If you love the idea of HYGGE, this is a great way to get...
Hi everyone, it's day three of my week long giveaway! In case you missed it, I'm celebrating my blog's third birthday by giving away something new every day this week. On Monday, I gave away 5 copies of the book You are a Badass, by Jen Sincero. The beginning of a new...
Hi everyone! It's Day Two of my week long giveaway! See the details below about the giveaway and how to enter! New Giveaway Day Two! Satin Hair Wave Curler Today I am giving away xtava's Professional 5-in-1 Satin Wave Curler. I love this product because of all the...
The GIVEAWAY for Day Two (Tuesday) will begin at 12pm today - hop on back to the blog to see what I am giving away today! Hi guys! My blog, Connecticut in Style, turned three on Saturday! In celebration of this occasion, I am hosting a week-long giveaway. Starting...
Hi guys! 10 Sleep Tips That Really Work is a longer blog post than normal, but I want to share the struggles I had with insomnia. After consulting with a doctor and an acupuncturist, I took a systematic approach to overcome the issues I had with sleeping. It worked -...
How to Organize Your Refrigerator and Store Food the Correct Way Raise your hand if you love cleaning out your cabinets on the first of the year! I'm not sure when I started this tradition, but on January 1st for many years, I have cleared out our pantry, medicine...
2017 was intense. Politically, socially, sexually, environmentally and emotionally - it was charged. It's not a year that I will ever forget. I became woke (that's slang for political awareness). I became a political junkie and spent hours watching CNN, listening to...
Happy Friday! If there is one word I would use to describe this week, it would be enchanting. We've had such a fun week with all the pre-Christmas activities. If you have been following along on Instagram, I signed up for a Holiday Bucket List. It inspires me to do...
If you are reading this, chances are that there are some people on your Christmas Gift List that you still need to shop for. You probably know that there are only five more days until Christmas, but only two more days to order via Amazon Prime to get two-day free...