Juliska Sale!

If you're a fellow twenty-something I'm guessing you have no shortage of weddings on your calendar for this summer. Last summer we had a record setting nine for us, with this summer coming in a close second at eight plus our own! I always drive myself crazy trying to find the absolutely perfect wedding gift and I love nothing more than finding something amazing on sale so I can buy a much nicer gift that I would otherwise be able to afford. So if you're on the hunt for wedding gifts as well, or just want to splurge on something for yourself, I have good news. The Juliska Annual Sale begins tomorrow at 9am. 50-70% off retired styles and the first two days are friends and family only so be sure to get there early!

Head over on your lunch break and you can hit up the cute cafe for some snacks while you shop! 

Juliska Flagship Store 

465 Canal Street 

Stamford, CT 

*you can print the above coupon here

Hit the Slopes!

Is your three day weekend high wearing off yet? Perhaps it's time to plan another trip! Growing up I was always a Stratton and Okemo girl so when it came to planning ski trips I never thought to branch out from my usual go-tos. However, we got a great invitation to head up to Mt Snow a few weekends ago and I'm so glad we decided to go! We made the trip both ways in roughly 3 hours, how easy is that! Our rental house from Cyber Rentals was great and the small town of West Dover has plenty to offer. We hit up The Silo for a few beers, had lunch on the mountain at Summit Lodge & Double Diamond Bar, and of course had to make the first stop off Exit 2, The Vermont Country Deli - grab some pulled pork and mac 'n cheese to serve for dinner when you get there! Parking at the Sundance area of the mountain couldn't be easier and allowed us to ski back to our cars at the end of the day. There are plenty of different trails for all ability levels and also tubing for those who don't want to ski. So if you're looking for a quick last minute weekend trip this makes for the perfect destination...half day anyone?

Mount Snow Resort
89 Pisgah Road
West Dover, VT

Get me to a Home Depot!

I hadn't yet gotten into home blogs but the other day I was on my favorite author Jen Lancaster's blog and she wrote a cute post referencing Young House Love. I'd never heard of them (apparently I'm very late to the party on that) but I figured whatever Jen loves I would love too! So I clicked over to check them out. I read their backstory, a few posts on their blog, some of their press but I just wasn't sold yet. Until I clicked here and then I was oh so hooked! The transformation they performed on a house I would have run screaming from is nothing short of amazing. I wasn't able to see that yet with their new house but now I want to check back daily to see how they are going to transform that as well. If the below doesn't win you over then you're much more creative than me! I hope you have some free time to spare because you're going to need it enjoying this great site.

Before and After from Young House Love

The Hostess with the Mostest

A few weeks ago I went to a dinner party at the home of a friend I met through a local volunteer organization. She invited four girls, all of whom she knew in different ways, and we ended up having the best time! But most noticeable was the ease in which she prepared dinner, we actually got to talk to her instead of feeling guilty while she raced around the kitchen. So I wanted to share the recipe she served - it makes me want to have my own effortless dinner party! She used boneless chicken breasts and served with couscous and asparagus, delish!

Chicken Marbella

Westport, you're one lucky town!

We heard some exciting news at Tarry Lodge this weekend! I will preface that I am a biased TL supporter - heading there almost every Sunday night to eat dinner at the bar, whether it's our favorite meatball and jalapeño pizza, pasta bolognese, pumpkin ravioli or one of their delicious salads everything is always A+. My fiancé always reminds me how lucky we are that our local pizza joint is a Mario Batali restaurant. The good new is, if you live in Westport, now yours can be too! Slated to open in May in the former location of Bonda restaurant, this will be the second location of Tarry Lodge Enoteca and Pizzeria. Check out the details here! Until then be sure to keep visiting the Port Chester location as well as the new and wonderful Tarry Market and Tarry Wines!


18 Mill Street
Port Chester, NY
914.939.3111
www.tarrylodge.com
http://tarrymarket.com

Groundhogs Day

With the prediction of an early spring (if one trusts a groundhog to do so) I've been thinking about where all this snow is going to go when it melts. My prediction? Into huge puddles that ruin all my good shoes. So with that in mind I've been working on expanding my collection of waterproof footwear. I have a pair of classic Hunter boots in green which I love but often I find myself wishing I had a dressier version. In comes the Hunter Regent Savoy. With a dressier silhouette and slimmer fit these boots are perfect when I need to be stylish and dry. I ordered them from Zappos, had them the next day, and have hardly taken them off since. Until I can switch to flip flops it looks like we're going to be seeing a lot of these!

Hunter Regent Savoy from Zappos

Hunter Boots are available locally at: 

Darien Sport Shop 

1127 Post Road, Darien 

203.655.2575

Shoe Inn 

38 Main Street, Westport 

203.227.9246 

Saks

205 Greenwich Ave, Greenwich 

203.862.5300

bartaco

After two unsuccessful attempts I finally got a chance to try popular new restaurant bartaco. Located in Port Chester behind the Willett House, bartaco seems to be where everyone's headed to cure their "Januarys". This time we tried it on a Tuesday at 7pm and had much better luck. The staff was incredibly accommodating - we had a large party with a reservation accidentally marked down for the wrong night and they got us a table right away. We started out with a carafe of the house margaritas and a large platter of the chef's choice - 9 tacos, 3 sides, guacamole, spicy corn and tamales. This gave us an opportunity to see what we liked and order more items to follow up. All items are ordered by using golf pencils on a little score card menu and then putting up a sign indicating you're ready to order more food. Its a fun atmosphere and great for groups but I wasn't blown away by the food. The guacamole was good, as was the spicy grilled corn but the tacos lacked something for me. By 10pm when we left the place was almost completely full. Seems like a great spot for a late night cocktail or a taco after the movies next door. They only take reservations for 10 or more so keep that in mind if you're headed there on a Thursday-Saturday, last time we tried to go the wait was 3 hours. I'll be back but I won't be rushing.

bartaco
1 Willett Avenue
Port Chester, NY
www.bartaco.com

Grab your tissues!

I absolutely love to read, love! Last year I read 41 books - so you can pretty much say I'm unhealthily attached to my kindle. What I love even more is to whip my reading list out of my planner and offer book suggestions whether you ask for one or not. So when I thought about a blog one of the most appealing aspects was getting to write about the books I love.

The last book I read that I just hoped would never end was A Dogs Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron. I've read most of the popular dog novels - Marley & Me, Art of Racing in the Rain - and this was by far my personal favorite. Written in a canine first-person, the story follows the touching and often hilarious account of a dog searching for his purpose in life. When he finally finds it you'll need a box of tissues and plenty of friends to recommend this book to!

A Dog's Purpose from Amazon

Jumping In

For a long time friends and family have always told me "you should start a blog, you're like a walking 411!" And tonight, with two hours of mind numbing but oh so wonderful Bachelor ahead of me, I thought why not give it a go. I love to share my favorite things with my friends - an amazing book, a great new restaurant, a fun local find, a recipe that makes me look like a domestic diva when I'm not. I hoped this would be a place where I could offer those tips to new friends, whether you've just moved to Fairfield County or have lived here your whole life. I can't wait for an excuse to get out and find more great things to share! Enjoy!