Well, I was back for a bit...then....

MY MAC HARDRIVE BIT IT. I LOST PHOTOS AND MUSIC. BRUTAL.

Suffice to say, I'm bummed and feel totally disconnected from the world. It's being fixed...hope to be up and running soon. Until then, off to a jewelry show in MA. Happy fall to you all:)

Life's a Beach and here's why...

You know, it can be a cynical world out there. So much goodness and too much sadness. This is a time in my life when the world itself feels a little shaky (I'm specifically referring to the scary economy). I think the last time I felt so terrified for our country was 9/11. Completely different circumstances but the same feeling of helplessness. I live about 45 minutes from NYC, a lot of this town works on Wall Street or in one of the huge corporations we're watching crumble. I'm witnessing firsthand a frightening amount of families under unbelievable stress. Parents dragging their kids out of school because they can't afford it anymore, friends having stress related medical problems, families moving out of town because of affordability...and the list goes on, seriously, it goes ON. Just sad. Really sad times. I know things will turn around eventually but unfortunately, I feel that this really is just the tip of the iceberg. That said, what can you do in this big mess of messes? Well, besides the obvious and being as responsible for all of your financial responsibilities as possible here's what I've learned...again...

I always seem to get back to basics with a stop at the beach. I've said it here before; the beach is my church. Hunter and I went to the playground yesterday and then to the beach. We had so much fun. He was a little madman running around and had me hunched over laughing at one point. God, I love that peanut. Anyway, I got to thinking how nice to be a kid with no worries. Every new discovery is so amazing, you can play all day, eat prepared foods, take a nap if you feel like it (which is almost never), have a bubble bath drawn for you, jammies, books, kisses and tuck-ins. Not too shabby. The thing is, he REALLY appreciates the little things. (Or at least he acts like he does) He thanks me (most times) when I feed him, kiss him, hug him or when I explain things to him. I'm not saying he will stay this way forever (pretty please God?) but it is nice to be reminded of how such little things draw such genuine appreciation. I've been so worried about our house selling (in this lovely economy) and anxious to finally settle here in CT that sometimes I lose sight of the little things that are of the utmost importance. And these "little" things really are the "big" things. That's where the light went off at the beach yesterday. I never totally lose sight of these things sometimes they just get a little blurry for me when I'm worrying about other things. I was watching Hunter run around in the sand just laughing and showing me everything in sight and I had a moment. It was more like a "DUH!" moment. I just remembered how lucky I am that I have such a wonderful family, an adoring husband, and a gem of a son. And to top that off I have a roof over my head, I don't go hungry and I have loyal friends. I guess I'm really rambling here...but in a world of "more, more, more" try not to lose sight of the "you already have". The more you appreciate these things the richer your life is. I'm just sayin'.

Very Excited....

Look what I won on Ebay today......stylish AND practical. How can you beat that!?

Burberry Crinkle Scarf, New with tags, 100% silk. Yummy.

Things are finally falling into place...phew.

(my boys at a birthday party last weekend)

So, as of late I've felt completely and utterly disheveled. I've been so busy with kid stuff and life stuff that I barely know what day it is. Honestly, it's no use going into all the things that have cluttered my mind because as moms, daughters, sisters, wives etc. we all deal with a million different things in a week... you all know what I'm talking about. Just life baby. It's taken me by surprise because usually I have everything buttoned up but not so much lately. However, the tide has changed. The wind has shifted. Fall is here and I'm ready...ready to Rock and Roll and take on the "08/"09 year ahead.

Hunter has begun a drop off program 3 x a week for 2 hours and 15 minutes. It's called an Organized Playgroup....he LOVES it and so do I. Just a few hours of freedom a few times a week is the best! This month my Mom's 60th is coming up, we have another trip to the Cape, we are looking at a few more rentals here in CT until our house in MA sells, we have a family reunion and we are headed out to San Francisco to visit with friends and take H back to where he was born. Lot's of fun stuff ahead! looking forward to posting about them all!

HELLO PEOPLE!

Wow. I have gotten so many sweet emails wondering where I am. Truthfully, I'm here. Didn't go anywhere. I've just been so darn busy with lot's of life going on that blogging has been the one thing on my plate that seems to have gotten shrugged off for the moment. I've been checking up on you all frequently and will continue to do so regularly within the next few days! I promise to fill you in on my "goings on"...until then...thanks for checking in and I'll see you tomorrow:) xxx

Road Trip!

Headed to Cape Cod bright and early tomorrow am! Hope to share some pics come Tuesday!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Gotta love these tunes

I was tagged By One Fabulous Mom and Mom X 2 to tell you my five most embarrassing songs that I love and to explain why!?

1. "Sail On" Commodores. I still LOVE this song...I was recently belting it out in the car and Hunter said "Mommy please stop singing!" Apparently, my voice isn't "Mariah" enough for him. Jesus.

2. "Morning Train" Sheena Easton. That's right, a little morning train for ya. I remember being 7 and living in CA and driving with my Mom and brother to pick my Dad up at the train station after work and singing this song in the car...still makes me laugh thinking of those trips.

3. "Centerfold" J.Geils Band. Oh my god...high school, college AND I know that I belted this tune out VERY late at night @ a party on Martha's Vineyard THIS summer. (I may have been over-served, wink-wink)

4. "Sexual Healing" Marvin Gaye. A great song and when it comes on I love singing along to it in my most excellent shower voice 'eva.

5. "Rich Girl" Hall & Oates. My first concert...and I still think they are great.

Okay, sooooo I'm tagging L.A Prep, Preppy Mama, Sassy Sal & Figs, Lavender and Cheese

Sick little peanut

I've been taking care of a needy little boy the past few days. Not my husband (insert giggle here)...but my little guy. He's had a wicked cold and has been needing his mommy a lot. Don't like him being sick but I love him wanting all the hugs and kisses from Mom! This however has made me a bad blogger! I'm going to catch up tonight because I've been tagged twice. Stay tuned folks!

A few things I'm loving right now...

I thought I'd share a few of my favorites this summer! Here goes nothing...

1. Tory Burch Patent Thora Thong


2. L'Occitane Lavender Hand Cream



3. Coastal Living Magazine


4. "Bling" Earrings by JoJo Boston


5. JCrew Classic Straw Hat


Have a terrific weekend!!!

A Cool Meal For Those Hot Summer Nights (or days)

Last night I served this (see above) for the Mr. and I. We both LOVED it. I also sliced a whole wheat loaf and baked it with a little butter, garlic and sea salt. The crusty bread slices pair terrifically with this meal. And as a garnish, I topped the Gazpacho with diced avocado and a dollop of Creme Fraiche. Yum!


Recipe for Gazpacho:

1 hothouse cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled
1 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
1 orange bell peppers, cored and seeded
4 plum tomatoes, seeded
1 red onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups tomato juice
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup good olive oil
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
juice of half a lemon
chopped cilantro

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not over process!
After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop. Enjoy!

One Perfect Weekend

All of us out at JL Ivy.

What a trip to Princeton, NJ! The Mr., the little guy and I left for NJ Friday night. We arrived at our friends beautiful home in Princeton around 8pm (and the third couple coming from NYC arrived just before us). We were all greeted with cocktails and yummy appetizers:) The little guy stayed up and played with toys until 9:30 and then crashed. We let him stay up late because he was cooped up in the car for 4 hours. He was a serious trooper on the trip. Then we had a late dinner which was cooked for us. It was delish....a warm baby spinach salad with toasted pine nuts, cherry tomatoes, warm goat cheese and grilled chicken and crusty bread...YUM! We all went through way too much wine and then stayed up until the wee hours. Saturday we got up, got the kids fed and left to head to our friends club. The 6 adults played round robin tennis and then we hit the pool for lunch, a swim and frozen Margaritas by the pool. Then kids napped and so did the adults...nice! Then we all got ready to head out for a nice dinner. The babysitter arrived and the kids loved her...no crying at all...I even got a "bye mommy!" We headed to dinner in downtown Princeton (JL Ivy). Again, it was so great. I shared oysters and pate with one of the girls and I had an excellent sushi plate for my main course. Dessert was a warm molten chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream shared with the Mr. We had a nightcap at a local bar and headed home shortly after. Of course, we all stayed up for yet another nightcap back at the house, just catching up and hanging out. It really was perfect. So relaxed and yet sooooo much fun. I can't wait to get back there sometime soon!

Back from NJ

We just got back from a 3 day trip to Princeton, NJ visiting friends. Soooooooo much fun! Promise to post later this afternoon with photo/details:)

Girlfriends weekend has come and gone.

me, bit, kimmie, cindy (shelvin is taking the pic)

"I do not wish to treat friendships daintily, but with the roughest courage. When they are real, they are not glass threads or frost-work, but the solidest thing we know."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson


I'm back from a quick albeit lovely weekend in Boston with some old girlfriends of mine. We planned this weekend ages ago and I'm so glad. When I say quick I meant it. I went to Boston last Thursday to see my parents which was great. My Mom and I spent the afternoon together shopping, catching up and hugging. My Dad came home around 5 and we all had a drink before they headed down to Cape Cod for the weekend. I ended up meeting an old co-worker of mine out for drinks later that night. I was out waaaay past my bedtime and payed for it on Friday. Friday I got out of bed (I stayed at my parents place in the Back Bay) at 10am. I'm serious. It then took me an hour to get myself together and head out on the town again. I walked around Boston all day and got a mani/pedi. It was great! I then finished the little gift bags I made for my friends. I had 4 bags (one for each of them) filled with an adorable notepad, bath salts, glass cocktail stirrers with Nantucket baskets on the end of them and Jelly Belly jellybeans. Just a little something to make them smile. After the gift bags were complete I went out again to get dinner and check into my hotel. I checked in to our hotel and had a Mexican feast and watched 27 Dresses. It was a very mellow evening. Saturday morning my friend Cindy arrived...we walked around, got iced coffees and then I got a massage and she got a mani/pedi. It was one of the best massages I've ever had:) After that we ended up at the hotel to meet the rest of the girls. YEA...we were all finally together after YEARS! It truly was so quick but thank goodness we got a lot of face time in and were able to catch up properly. We all showered and went to dinner, then we went to a club (I'm not a club girl-thank god we all agreed that it was awful) and then we left and hailed down a pedicab to hit another bar. We stayed until 2am and had a ball! A few of the girls had to head to bed due to partying and a few of us stayed up until 3:30 am chatting and talking about our lives. There were tons of laughs and a few tears. That combination is always best when shared with friends. I must say, I loved our time together. It's so wonderful to share your current life with the girls who "knew you when". I do know that the only way to have a friend is to BE a friend. Friendships should be adored, cultivated and treasured otherwise why have them?

What's in store for me come Thursday?

I'm headed to Boston on Thursday afternoon for the weekend....gimme a..."hell yeah!" The Mr. takes an annual golf trip with his best friends every year and I get a girl trip too. Hmm, how excited am I? I'm off my rocker excited! I have a night with my parents in Boston (they have a place in the Back Bay) and then Friday to myself (staying at the Back Bay Hilton) and then Saturday 4 girlfriends are coming into town and will all be staying at the Hilton as well. Our plans so far are a Spa trip on Newbury Street Saturday afternoon, a cocktail party in my room (I'm sharing a room with my good friend Cindy) where I will be handing out Bellini's as the girls arrive, then off to dinner at The Beehive in the South End....and finally drinks somewhere in town and I'm assuming breakfast together the next morning. Well, can you say fun or what? I'm so excited to get together with all of these girls. I haven't seen most of them in 7+ years...we've all kept in touch for the most part but haven't seen each other regularly mainly due to logistics. I can already hear the laughs we will all have and I just love getting together with a bunch of great girls for a night of catching up, laughing, crying and just plain enjoying each others company! Simply the best!

What's a "Stay-cation" you ask?

I was tagged by Tres Posh Preppy to describe my perfect stay at home vacation, a "stay-cation". Here goes nothing!

I live in a small town in CT roughly 45 minutes from NYC. We've only been here 7 months so we are still discovering new things to do and all that this area has to offer. That said, this is what my perfect stay-cation would consist of. I would start the weekend by crossing my fingers that the Mr. made it home before 6 on Friday night. (I'm laughing out loud at that but hey a girl can dream) If he did, I would set up our patio table outside with linens and candles and have Lobsters and Steamers. I'm torn which I would rather have with that dinner; beer or a snazzy, summer cocktail. Either one would hit a home run I'm sure. Then, the little man would go down to sleep before 7:30 (again, ha-ha) and we'd have the rest of the night together. Saturday I'd most likely pack a lunch and head to the beach with my boys and spend the day there. In a perfect world, after the little mans nap my parents would arrive to babysit him at night while the Mr. and I headed into NYC for the night and enjoyed a nice dinner and night out. Then Sunday, somehow, someway I'd love to sleep until 9am and then have breakfast in bed. Then, I'd hit a Matinee with the Mr. with tons of sour gummy candy in hand of course! After the movie I'd pick up take-out for dinner so I didn't have to cook or clean. Sounds pretty good to me. Sign me up!

Two things....

First, I've been tagged by the lovely Tres Posh Preppy...I haven't forgotten and will hopefully post again tonight.

Secondly, just thought I'd let you all have a laugh at my expense. I was on iTunes today and I noticed that John Mayer has a new live acoustic album out. I'm not gonna lie, I bought it within seconds. It's really good. Great actually. I love John. Seriously. If I weren't married I might be a stalker of his. My father loves him too. My Dad is quite talented when it comes to music; he plays guitar and also co-wrote a very famous song. Anyway, he loves to play along with his guitar to JM tunes. Last year for his birthday I bought my Dad and I tickets to see JM in Boston together. He was so excited (so was I). Last minute he had to fly to NYC for a business trip and couldn't make it. I went by myself. Yup, all alone. And it was AMAZING, other than the fact that my Dad wasn't with me. I'd do it again. I also bought my favorite running tee shirt at the concert. Anyway, I'm officially a Mayer groupie. Let the laughing begin.

Mini Sanity Break

What a day so far! I had a babysitter come today so that I could have a little "me" time. I had NO plans. It was a great time had by me. This was my day so far... I drove to New Caanan and went shopping on Elm Street. It's an adorable street with boutiques, book stores, stationary stores, shoe stores, antiques...you get the drift. I lucked out at JCrew and purchased a few lovlies. Then I grabbed an iced french vanilla coffee and browsed in the bookstore for 45 minutes...yes, I said 45 minutes...ahhh bliss! I haven't done that in ages. I bought two copies of Gift From The Sea because I can't find both of my copies...they must still be packed in boxes somewhere. I also bought a beach-read called Barefoot. (I'll let you know how it is-probably next January when I finish it) Then I grabbed some sushi for lunch. I drove back to Darien and hit the Darien Sports Shop, just browsed. Then I popped in a designer consignment shop and scored a pair of James Jeans. Okay, they retail for an average of $186.00 and I nabbed them for....wait for it.....$36.00. OH SNAP! I do have to have them taken in a pinch but it's worth it! Now I'm back with my peanut who's napping and I can't wait for him to get up so we can play. Then we are going to the gym later on where he will play with his buddies in the kiddie area. This may sound like a super boring day to many but let me tell you, it's been such a lax and lovely day for me. What a treat! Every now and then you just need some 'nuthin to do time!

Family, Friends, Fun!

Well, we had a terrific time on our quick getaway. We went to Cape Cod for a night, then to Duxbury for 2 nights (one night sans child-woo-hoo!) and then back to CT. Hunter had so much fun with Poppy on his boat and at the beach...they are like old pals together...Hunter tries to drag him everywhere when actually he's only a half a step behind him. Poppy adores his little grandson. Seeing them together melts me. It made me completely rethink moving here for good. H also had a ball with all of the rest of his grandparents-we are so lucky that they all adore him and love to spend so much time with him too.

The Mr. played in a member/guest golf tourney at our Yacht Club. He invited a good friend of ours from Duxbury to be his team mate. They came in 3rd in their flight and more importantly loved every minute of it! Lots of laughs. We had a dinner to go to with this couple and we just adore them. So many laughs, too many cocktails and just a plain good time. Another reason that made me wonder about planting ourselves here.

We also stopped by our house that we have rented out. The renters are friends of ours and are taking very good care of the house-phew! It was a little bittersweet to see the house. I hadn't seen all of our renovations or landscaping that were completed a few months ago. It all looked amazing and again made me miss it. Hmm. We'll see where we end up...either place will be terrific I'm sure as long as my boys are with me.

Anyway, here are some pics from our day with Poppy! Enjoy and have a great day!

Back again!

Well, we made it back to CT. We had a blast on Cape Cod and when we went to visit our old town of Duxbury. Soooo tired from all of the running around etc., I will be sure to update a detailed post tomorrow! Hope you all had a super weekend! I can't believe that the 4th of July is less than 2 weeks away-WHAT???!!!!

Mad dash for MA!

Oh boy....here we go again. Literally! Hunter and I are up and adam early tomorrow am to head to our old town to visit friends for lunch and a play date. (This is a 3.5 hour drive for a play date mind you. Hello DVD's!) Then we head to Cape Cod for a family dinner and Hunt and I will spend Friday am with Poppy on his boat. After that we are headed to meet the Mr. back in our old town for a golf tournament that he is playing in. And Sunday we will make the trek back here to CT. Glad these long drives will be it for a while! Well, off to the gym and then finish packing! Oh yeah....and I'm hosting a play date here this afternoon-what was I thinking????? Hope you have a super Wednesday!!

Martha's Vineyard Recap

Our hotel: The Harborview Hotel in Edgartown

The Lobby at The Harborview

View of Lighthouse Beach from the Hotel

Again, Lighthouse Beach

A view of Edgartown Harbor

Some random Vineyard house

A few lovely window boxes on Water Street

The "Wheelhouse" garage on Water Street

Chappy Beach Club where my parents met and fell in love

Us at dinner at the Seafood Shanty

Us after about 17 cocktails

A view of Edgartown from the Beach

Me on the beach

The Mr. checking out the harbor

The Mr. walking back to the Harborview


What a trip! Martha's Vineyard is magical, there are so many beautiful spots on the Island that will take your breath away. I hope you too get to visit your oasis this summer...and if not just be sure to enjoy the view from wherever you are!