Travels
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When the snow is covering the ground, and the plows haven’t been through, sometimes it’s the best time to get cozy, kick back and catch up on a little light…
Keep ReadingBusy Sidewalks
Christmas in Connecticut would not be Christmas without a trip into New York City. Having lived in Fairfield County for most of my life, I’ve been grateful for it’s proximity,…
Keep ReadingMatched Set
When I was at FIT, my dear friend Erin gave me my very first LL Bean Boat and Tote bag. With a body of creamy, natural white cotton canvas, contrasting…
Keep ReadingThe Philadelphia Story
A few years back I signed up to be a chaperone for my son Conor’s middle school field trip to Philadelphia. Our mission, with hundreds of kids in tow, was…
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The Governor Stephen Hopkins House gardens
A walk through the gardens of the Governor Stephen Hopkins House is well worth it, even if it’s early in the season. On a recent trip to Providence, Rhode Island,…
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Window stopping
One of the best things I love about living in Connecticut, is that it’s right next door to New York. From our house, a drive into mid-town Manhattan takes about…
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Foodie Friday: Major John Gile Holiday Rum Cake
Major John Gile Holiday Rum Cake Cake Ingredients 1-¾ cups all-purpose flour 1-½ cups granulated white sugar 1 box instant vanilla pudding mix ½ cup crushed walnuts ½ cup unsalted…
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Dana and the Major John Gile House
I’d love to introduce you to my dear friend Dana Schwartz and her 1763 Major John Gile House, in Nottingham, New Hampshire. When Dana called to tell me all about…
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A bug’s life
So what do you get a little boy on a business trip to Paris? Why, a bug of course! Quite simply that’s how our bug collection was born. For me,…
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Sweet recycling
Every morning on our mini-vaca in the 1000 Islands in Canada, I reached for a glass that was neatly stacked in the kitchen cabinet of my dear friend Holly’s lakeside…
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Foodie Friday: Sea to Table
It all starts with the love of fishing. And for Murph, that LOVE is spelled out in all caps. At the break of dawn, with two of his best buds,…
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A sweet bonus
It’s Brimfield week, and you know what that means…fabulous finds are calling my name. But once I’m there, a little later in the day when I need that second wind…
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Foodie Friday: One incredible egg
This isn’t really a recipe…it’s a little story about a ‘moment’. And how sometimes, the very best things in life are the simplest. I’m a convert. I simply adore a…
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Party time
I am proud to announce that Nora Murphy Country House – The Hunt Club Shop, has opened in the new multi-dealer Fairfield County Antique and Design Center (http://www.fairfieldantiqueanddesign.com), on Willard Road (right…
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Joyful and playful
Each and every year, as soon as we haul down the boxes of tree trimmings from the attic, I feel like a little kid – I can’t wait to dig…
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A taste of Nantucket
I was digging for a new Cranberry Sauce recipe, and what better place to find what I was looking for but from the Cranberry capital of the world, Nantucket. This…
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She’s the real deal
The first time I set foot on Pumpkin Hill Farm, I immediately felt like I had arrived at a gracious Litchfield County country estate. I loved being greeted by the…
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A million little things: courage
“A ship is always safe at the shore – but that is not what it is built for.” – Albert Einstein (1879-1955) I love the sea. And this wonderful old…
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The really big show
All antique weathervanes point to Brimfield this week. That’s right – the Grand Pubah, the Grand Dame, the Head Honcho of antique shows – the Brimfield Antique Show really is the…
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Oh what a beautiful morning!
And what a beautiful morning it is in my old hometown of Fairfield, Connecticut – more specifically this historic part of town – Greenfield Hill. I’m driving the back roads…
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Zooming in at the Met’s New American Wing
This was no ordinary day trip to Manhattan. One of my best friends, Erin (yes, this is the same Erin of Erin’s Zucchini Bread fame, July 19th posting) and I…
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Hello Monday!
Happy Fall! Well we’re into the third day of the new season, and I have to say that on a crisp day like today – New England is the…
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Shaker apple pies
Happy Friday! I was thinking that if you’re picking apples this weekend, and you liked my last posting featuring really good pie crusts, then you may want to try this…
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Nora’s ‘Brimfield’ snap shots
Happy Friday! Last minute change in plans on Wednesday opened up my day yesterday to take a run up to the Brimfield Antique Show, in Brimfield, Massachussetts. In less than…
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There once was a girl from Nantucket
She was the first piece of “real art” I had ever acquired. She was a gorgeous nineteenth century little girl beautifully painted in rich pastels – and at the time…
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