First Stop: Vineyards | Next Stop: Forest

   So let me start with you forget how beautiful Connecticut is when you have lived here all your life.  Ryan and I rented another beach house in Old Lyme, CT right on the water and it was incredible.  We did it last year as well and wanted to try some new adventures and restaurants along the shoreline.
   We had the perfect date night and I highly suggest any couple vineyard and foresta hop!
A good friend + foodie blogger recommended La Foresta in Killngworth which was not too far from where were staying so we decided to give it a try.  Since we had a 730p reservation and we had a baby sitter at 6pm, we knew we had a time for a quick drink before dinner.
   We stopped by Chamard and we were so happy that there was live music.  It was the perfect start to date night and I started with a nice glass of rose (my ultimate beach wine) and we enjoyed some conversation and acoustics.
     Then we entered La Foresta.  The drive helped us understand the name... it truly feels like you are driving to the forest.  Once we got there, I was instantly impressed that there were fresh crops such as tomatoes and zucchini growing right on the restaurant property.  When we arrived, the owner himself, Francesco sat us to our seats which I truly appreciated.  Seeing someone so passionate and acting as a host/owner/waiter is very refreshing.
     I was immediately drawn to the wine list which was a thick book with possibly 100 pages of options.  When it comes to wine, I like to have options.  The owner recommended some wines and I loved the attention to detail.  I ordered the special which was house made pappardelle with lobster tail.  It was incredible.  Big portions and big flavor and not a single bite disappointed.
      Because we were so close to the beach, we were able to walk after dinner which is a true Italian pastime--in Italy we walked after every single meal and I loved being able to do that on the beach because of the location of the restaurant.  Thank you, Francesco for a wonderful time!

Ever After,

Jamie

Business + Brunch

     Britt and I met when she was the Marketing Director for her sister's dental practice and I was working as their advertising rep for TV.  We clicked right away, complimenting each other's shoes and clothes and I knew we would be more than business partners; we would be friends.
     Making friends in the same industry is refreshing because although we have our best friends from childhood or our college roommates, sometimes it's so cathartic to be able to talk about work and bounce ideas off each other.  Our texts consist of back and forth blog ideas and of course the occasional link to a cute top we think the other would look great in!
    We set aside time each month to have some creative discussions and just catch up on life.  This past Sunday, we decided to check out brunch at 75 Center Street in Southington, CT. This place is the closest thing to a true NYC brunch you will see in central Connecticut with amazing "hangover" burgers and unlimited Mimosas and Bloody Mary's. Service is awesome and Gavin loved everything on the menu.  Here's to many more Mimosas and business chats!

Ever After,

Jamie

National Burger Month: Burger + Beer Pairing with Plan b

    I can never turn down a good burger so National Burger Month is only a really good excuse to enjoy an amazing burger at Plan B in Simsbury.  To celebrate of this festive month, each of Plan B's locations are doing From April 26 to May 7, 10% of each location’s burger and beer pairing will be donated to their chosen charity.
     Simsbury's b location had this amazing Pear-Fect Burger made with all natural beef, glazed with bourbon and goat cheese and bourbon poached pears and arugula. The beer pairing was Lagunitas Lil Sumptin' Sumptin' and it was deliciously refreshing.  I cannot wait to hop over to more locations to try more pairings.   and Gavin enjoyed the kid's menu and we even got to sit outside since Sunday was in the 80's.  To learn more about Plan b's fun beer and burger pairing visit here. 

Ever After,

Jamie

Gavin's Playroom Reveal

Before Gavin, we had the "fun" room connected to our living room which was where all the adults gathered at family parties mixing cocktails and sitting at the bar.  Needless to say, once Gavin came along, the bar became more of a hazard than anything so I really wanted to create a space that Gavin can have fun and Mom and Dad could have their living room back! 

       My vision with Gavin's playroom was to keep the cost down so I looked around the house for items that I could use in his playroom.  I decided to keep the original color in the room the same to save labor and cost as well.  Since the color was a golden tan, I chose décor that was rustic and would work with the paint color.

      As I was going through some things in the basement, I found an old coffee table that was just collecting dust and thought, this could be the perfect chalkboard table. It was so easy to do and basically cost nothing.  I found some black chalkboard paint at Walmart, painted two coats and let it try for a few days before Gavin went to town on it.  He absolutely loves it!

    For storage, I made a trip to Target and picked up two of these 6-cube organizers in white. They were a lifesaver for all the scattered toys that we did not have a home for.  I mixed and matched the fabric bins with solid and print and decided on these solid tan bins along with some fun prints to add some texture to the room.

    Gavin's play kitchen is his absolute favorite.  I found it on sale on Amazon and there were a few color options from KidKraft.  I stocked him up with play food and he loves playing kitchen.  Who says men can't cook?!

    

 

Ever After,

Jamie

Teeth Whitening with Smile Brilliant: A Smile Transformation + Giveaway!

    I have always thought a big, white smile made a huge difference in anyone's appearance.  It's kind of like the most basic beauty thing someone can do (male or female) that improves your overall look.  I have never professionally whitened by teeth and have only really tried Crest white strips a few years back.  With that said, my teeth really needed help!  I am an avid coffee and red wine drinker so needless to say, I had my fair share of coffee stains, however I never really knew much about professional teeth whitening and always assumed it was super expensive.

I was very excited when Smile Brilliant offered to send me an at-home whitening kit to try out their custom-fitting trays and whitening kit.  From the reviews I researched before trying, the quality was professional grade yet at the comfort of your own home so I was in!

    Smile Brilliant was very easy to use in my opinion.  The only real "work" involved is making the custom impressions to mold to your teeth so that the whitening experience is comfortable and effective.  The instructions are very easy to follow and I showcase the steps below where you simply make an impression of your teeth in the gum material they provide, let it dry and mail it out back to Smile Brilliant where they will make your custom impression.

    In just a few days, Smile Brilliant send back your custom-made impressions and this is where the fun begins.  Simply use the whitening gel provided in your custom trays and watch the magic happen!  The whitening kit also provides a sensitivity gel after whitening but I was lucky and did not experience any sensitivity at all and therefore didn't need to use it.  For a more detailed instruction on how to use Smile Brilliant, you can watch this video.
    I noticed surface stains removing after just one use especially since I had coffee stains which was easy to remove with one application.  The results below are after 5 sessions of whitening (trays were worn for approximately 40 minutes each time).
   I was very impressed with the results and also impressed with how fast it worked.  I noticed myself able to pull off a few more daring lip colors since my teeth were so white (added bonus) :)  I would definitely recommend Smile Brilliant to anyone looking to boost their smile!  I'll provide a link to the product below.  I think it also makes a great holiday gift for the person who has everything!
  I have also teamed up with Smile Brilliant to give away a whitening kit- just in time for the holidays!  Check out the link below to enter.

Here is where you can get your very own Smile Brilliant Whitening kit and save 5% with code: jamieeverafter in checkout!
 You can check out some more amazing smile transformations: Smile Brilliant Reviews

Jamie Ever After + Smile Brilliant will also be giving a away a whitening kit.  To enter- Follow @JamieEverAfter on Instagram and then simply provide your email here! 

Professional Teeth Whitening

Ever After,

Jamie

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Happy Halloween!

Hope you all have a great Halloween!  It will be Gavin's 2nd Halloween and we are going Trick-or-Treating in our neighborhood.  I am usually doing a last-minute Halloween make-up DIY right before we go out so we will see what I come up with tonight.  The scarecrow makeup was from last weekend's Halloween party and all I needed was eyeliner and orange lipstick!

What are you and your family dressing up as this Halloween?

Skull watch c/o Rosegal

Ever After,

Jamie

Motivational Monday: There's No Place Like Home

     "There's no place like home," and by that I mean your home state.  Have you ever vacationed in your home state?  It's a pretty awesome feeling because you get to experience everything at leisure rather than the usual business of responsibilities and work.
 
     The last week in August, we took a family trip to the Connecticut shoreline and although I have done day trips and camping in the area as a kid, it was an awesome trip to see how beautiful CT really is.  As a mom, the plus was that I could pack all Gavin's toys (unlike our last trip to Florida) and Gavin felt a little more at home with all his own toys and items.
 
     I am thinking since this trip was so low stress and an absolute blast, we can make it a family tradition on the summer.  Do you have any family trips that have turned into a family tradition?

Ever After,

Jamie

Sundays are Brunch Days

 

  Every time I visit  New York City, there are so many restaurants promoting brunch specials with the most amazing mimosas, mouth-watering cocktails, and flavorful brunch entrees.  I was so happy to discover that Connecticut is starting to pick up the brunch trend because brunch is my favorite meal.  I mean who doesn't love breakfast food married with cocktails?!

   My girls over at Champs et Frites and Style Context set up a blogger brunch at the amazing 50 West in Plainville, CT and we were so impressed by the unique and tasty brunch menu they had to offer.  I mean pork belly tacos with eggs and banana-walnut pancakes had us foaming at the mouth. 
   Not to mention, Diane and I got the off-the-shoulder chambray memo. My favorite drink was the 50w Signature Cocktail which was mixed with St. Germain Elderflower liquor, sparling wine, and blood orange juice. I definitely want to make more time in my schedule for Sunday brunches.  How do you brunch?

 

Ever After,

Jamie

Gavin's Under the Sea 1st Birthday

   Gavin's birthday fell on the perfect weekend- Memorial Day weekend, which was perfect for an old-fashioned pool party!  I had never planned a kid's party before so I did what any millennial girl would do and looked to Pinterest for some support.
   Since I knew we would be spending most of the day at the pool, what better than an under the sea themed party with fish, oysters, and whales?  I had so much fun making all the snacks and decorations and Gavin had a blast trying his first piece of cake, opening his first birthday presents, and swimming in his kiddie pool that we got him.

   Some of the decor was ordered on Oriental Trading, including these adorable whale cups as favors for the kids.  They loved sipping their "ocean water" out of these adorable cups.. I even caught some adults putting sangria in their own whale cups!
   I used food as decoration such as the pearl oyster cookies, gold fish crackers, and gummy fishies served up in beach pales and decorated the table with sea shells and mini beach balls.  The party was a success!  I'll be sharing some recipes this week such as the organic cake recipe, and some of the DIY snacks.

Ever After,

Jamie