Friday Wine Tasting... Kick off to Summer, Memorial Day Cocktails

 via image

Bring out the barbeques, sunscreen, bikinis, lounge chairs, and cocktails, it is Memorial Day Weekend, one of my favorite weekends of the year!!! Because in my mind it is the start of another fabulous summer!  Today we are onsite at Saltwater Farm Vineyard for Carol and Kevin's intimate wedding celebration at the winery, but then we are kicking back and enjoying a couple of days off.  I think it is the first Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend I have had off in 5 years, and I am ready to embrace every minute of it.  

Some fun plans this weekend: Birthday Cocktails at one of the hottest new Restaurants on the CT shoreline, Fresh Salt, backyard bbq with family and friends, the incredible Nicole Frechette is performing live at Chamard Vineyards on Sunday, and we are packing up our bags for a day at the beach in Old Lyme at Pavillion.  What are your plans this weekend?

Memorial Day Weekend Picks

Wine of the Week

Brass Tacks Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

$14.99

Winemaker's notes:

Let’s get down to brass tacks. This Cabernet Sauvignon is about the purity of the varietal flavors and California terroir. Brass Tacks Cabernet Sauvignon offers classic rich layers of currant, cherry and blackberry fruit that is framed by nicely integrated oak, which adds a touch of spice. This small lot Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from California's Central Coast that is influenced by the Pacific Ocean. This maritime influence creates an extended growing season that yields wines with full flavor development and great acid balance.

Food Pairings: Perfect with anything off the grill!
What the Experts Say:

"Very nice for the price. Dry and smooth, with blackberry, cherry, cola and currant flavors that have a scoury mouthfeel, because of the tannins. Lots of class and even some complexity. Editor's Choice"

88 Points

Wine Enthusiast 

Cocktail of the Week

John Daly Light

1 part Firefly Ice Tea Vodka

1 part Light Minute Maid Lemonade

Cup full of Ice

Garnish with a lemon

Inspiration from Anywhere: Soft Gingham and Flowers

Can you believe that June is just around the corner?  With the sunshine finally upon us, I can't help but imagine myself as a guest at an outdoor party filled with fresh flowers, soft colors, and tons of gingham details!  Take the tablecloth look down a notch by substituting pretty pastels for bolder colors and drop a mason jar-full of fresh-cut flowers on every table for a refreshing ambiance.  I think lemonade would be the drink of choice at this summer soiree, don't you?

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8

xo, Paloma

Wedding Wednesday... Chamard Vineyard

A couple of months ago we had the privilege to team up with some amazingly talented ladies (Carrie Roseman Photography and Hana Floral Design and Rentals Unlimited) to do a photo shoot to showcase the beauty of the wine cellar renovations recently completed at Chamard Vineyard.  We are the exclusive event coordinators for the winery and couldn't be more thrilled to be a part of such an incredible team.

Chamard is located on the shoreline of Connecticut, has the most incredible old world charm, and the people that work at the vineyard have taken great pride in making it one of the hottest wineries in the state - not only as a place to visit on the CT Wine trail but also as a venue to host private events.  

As you enter the gates and pull down the long stone driveway, it is as if you have been transported to another place in another time, it has such an old world feel to it. The winery is crafted of stones from the property and wooden beams milled from trees harvested from the land as it was cleared over 20 years ago. Chamard sits on 40 acres of vines that gently slope along the southern Connecticut coast, just two miles from Long Island Sound, making it an ideal destination for guests coming from Boston or New York.

For more information on hosting your wedding at Chamard Vineyard email: Sarah@Trueevent.com 

Postcards and Pretties and Me! A look into our studio.

Headshot- Justin Marantz Photography and 
all of the interior pics of the studio were captured- Anna Sawin Photography

I was so honored and absolutely thrilled to be interviewed and featured on the oh so fabulous Postcards and Pretties blog as they give you an inside look into our studio!  Take a peak.

Tuesday Shoesday

I know I posted last week about my new yellow wedges from Anthro but can't help but share another favorite find for all my yellow friends.  These are AMAZING!!! 

 

via Anthropologie

 For more shoe love, check out {life in the super burbs} {brancoprata} {magnolia rouge} {demoiselle} {meant to be sent} {simply & forever} {landlocked bride} {swatchbook weddings} {luna & chloe weddings} {merci new york} {enchanted dream weddings}

Coffee Talk Monday... The Providence Granola Project

I am obsessed with gifts that give month after month. I especially love the wine of the month clubs that are so much fun for people that love getting to try new vineyards and wines that you may never have picked up if it hadn't arrived as part of the monthly shipment.  It is always a surprise when the box arrives and a really amazing treat when you open it to find the gift of the month.  I was especially thrilled when I was gifted Granola of the month for the holidays from a colleague and friend that I get the privilege of working with throughout the year.  I had no idea that in addition to having the most fabulous photobooth business he is also a founder of the Providence Granola Project. 

The Providence Granola Project was conceived as a way to provide job skills and work experience to Providence's newly arrived refugee community. Currently they have employees from Burundi, Iraq, and Sudan who lovingly make their granola from scratch in the Amos House kitchen.  And I can tell you it is the best granola I have ever had (my favorite was the Dark Chocolate Cherry in December).  So YUMMY!  This makes such a great gift and also supports an amazing cause. 

Happy Birthday Sarah!

I am hijacking the blog quickly to wish the darling, talented, funny, life-loving, pretty as can be, stylish, Sarah TRUE a very happy birthday. Here's to another year of making your dreams come true. xoxo, Abby

via