On My List: Stonover Farm

A friend recently mentioned that she and her husband are planning a weekend escape to STONOVER FARM in the Berkshires. My my mum (Dixie) is in Litchfield County and I thought I knew all of the great places to stay in the area. Apparently not!

The Farm is a luxury B + B located in the idyllic town of Lenox. The property is owned and managed by Tom and Suky Werman. Both were raised and educated on the east coast, and after spending 23 years in Los Angeles, they are thrilled to be back! While in Los Angeles, Tom worked as a rock record producer, with over 20 gold and platinum albums to his credit. Suky taught 5th grade and was a museum educator. While they loved the West Coast, after visiting Lenox several times on vacation, they knew it was the perfect place for a bed and breakfast.

The rooms

The property

I am putting this on my list!

Thanksgiving in CT

A few of you asked for photos of Thanksgiving at my mum's in CT. Ask and you shall receive! Dixie's house is a 1770 Colonial so the holiday table was set with traditional style. The centerpiece was truly "green" made of assorted fresh vegetables.

The place cards I made by spray painting miniature pumpkins gold

My favorite shot of the holiday weekend is of Auggie my Jack Russell with my sister's French Bulldog Eliot.

Privet House for Target

Privet House is one of my favorite spots to visit when I am home visiting my mum in Litchfield County, CT. (They also have a store in Greenwich).

The stylish duo behind these shops are Richard Lambertson and Suzanne Cassano. Right?? Don't you want to have a martini with them? HERE is a fun interview with them.

They have a fantastic selection of home goods, bar ware and hostess gifts. But the most exciting thing is that they are part of the new line THE SHOPS AT TARGET and will be in stores  across the country next week. Here are a few items for entertaining that you will find on May 6th. Luh-ve!

Christmas Fun in CT

I wanted to share one picture of Christmas in CT. I hope you all had a great holiday! 

Party Details: Christmas Party CT

I am busily packing my bags to leave for the holidays and for our family party tomorrow night. For over twenty years we have been hosting a fabulous Christmas Party in CT. It starts with cocktails in the house which is decorated to the nines with the fires roaring - so festive. We then move to the barn for dinner with fifty of our favorite folks.

The front room of the barn.

Party Ready

And so is Auggie

Then we head back in the house for more cocktails, dessert and lots of singing (often a bit rowdy) Christmas Carols with musicians from  PETER DUCHIN ORCHESTRAS.

Our Holiday Table

Before we turn to all things Christmas, I wanted to share one image of the stunning table my Mum (Dixie) created for our Thanksgiving.

The pumpkin place cards I made following a similar look from Martha and spray painted the pumpkins gold and tied a card to each one with narrow ribbon. The silver candelabra are antiques passed down through our family mixed with amber glass votives. Antique ruby port glasses were mixed with rental wine glasses. The centerpiece was truly "green" with a harvest bounty of fruits, veggies and nuts. The food and the wine were stellar, only upstaged by a great group of family and fabulous friends. Hope you all had a great holiday, too!

Party Details: Dinner and Concert in Our Barn

 

My cousin RAIN PERRY is an uber talented singer. She flew in from LA a few weeks ago and Dixie hosted a wonderful dinner in our barn followed by an intimate concert with Rain - what a treat!

The house and barn in CT get party ready. Cocktails in the house, a seated dinner in the barn and then back to the house for dessert and the concert.

Lanterns guide the way from the house to the barn

Chef ANNE GALLAGHER cooked a fabulous meal, as always! For nibbles to accompany cocktails, Anne made three different variations of herbed cheese biscuits. Yum!

The first course was a Field Green salad with local greens 

The feel of the party was rustic, country casual so Dixie wanted comfort food. Anne made two phenomenal versions of chilli (one beef and one vegetarian) with emdless options for toppings and homemade cornbread. To.Die.For!

Dessert was a Pear Almond Tart followed by a concert with Rain. What a great evening! 

Photos: PhanFatale, Wedding Bee, Chez Us, Simply Recipes

Manolos and Milk?

A few miles from our family home in CT ARETHUSA FARM is becoming all the rage. This is not your average farm with its spotless barns, which hold 375 cows and owned by George Malkemus and Anthony Yurgaitis, president and vice president of Manolo Blahnik. Yup!  You read that right...this is a farm built by Manolo Blahnik and their shoe fortune.

Their slogan is “Milk like it used to taste,” because Arethusa’s milk reminded Mr. Malkemus of the milk he grew up on in Texas. The products are a result of the best in technology and old-fashioned TLC, starting with the cows. The milk comes from cows that are pasture-fed in good weather; at other times they receive Canadian hay and mixtures of grains. Then there’s the TLC: daily tail-washing, conditioning with Pantene Pro-V (seriously) and brushing, plus a weekly full body wash. Pampered? No one at Arethusa thinks so. It keeps parasite levels low and the cows healthy and improves milk quality. I think Carrie Bradshaw would approve, especially of the barn's motto which is pictured below.

Looks for their line of milk, cheeses and ice cream at Stop and Shop, Whole Foods or their retail store at 822 Bantam Road in Bantam, CT.

Images and Copy: New Yortk Times

50 Most Influential People

My mum, known as Dixie, is the force behind Party Resources. I am so proud of her, as she was picked as one of the 50 Most Influential People in tony Litchfield County. So fabulous! Dixie is in great company and you can see the entire list HERE. 

A few also on the list:

Meryl Streep

George Malkemus and Anthony Yurgaitis who founded Manolo Blanik

Designer Bunny Williams

Playwright and screenwriter Bill C. Davis

Interior designer and founder of CHARYM, Alexandra Champalimaud

Mia Farrow

Thursday Obsession: Tarry Market - Field Trip for Foodies

When I was in Greenwich, CT visiting friends, I finally had a chance to visit TARRY MARKET. It was well worth the wait! The market is owned by celebrity chefs, Lidia Bastianich and Mario Batali. 

I brought my camera, and my wallet, and could have spent all day! The gourmet store has a wonderful selection of italian coffee, rows and rows of olive oils.

Beautifully packaged baked goods including panettone

An entire case of freshly made pastas. I bought mushroom stuffed ravioli. After cooking the pasta in boiling water, I drained them and tossed them in browned butter with fresh thyme for out-of-town guests. So delicious and so simple!

Assorted breads backed daily

The most amazing collection of cheeses

Honey

Really, really fresh mozarella

And fresh, farm raised beef

And as any good chef knows, a meal is not complete without a great glass of wine

Well worth a trip if you are in the area!