When Tara Met Blog: October 2011

Welcome back to the East Coast

Snow in October? Seriously? The weather reports say that the last time snow accumulated in this area was in 1952, thus not in my lifetime or even my mother's and it now has to happen the very year I move back? So much for my favorite season, Fall.
At least it looked pretty.

Happy Halloween!

The Macallan Experience

I've only mentioned this once before, but I love scotch. Ladies, here me out. Scotch is not just a man's territory. It was an acquired taste though, as at first I would make that scrunched up face like I just sucked on a lemon after each sip, but now I look forward to a smooth single malt scotch on the rocks. I had heard it caused the least of a hangover due to the lack of sugar.I really put that theory to the test during BlogHer 10 and luckily it proved true. Soon I was acting like Anchorman's Ron Burgundy and singing, "I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly..."

Which is why I was really excited to attend a private Macallan media tasting the other week. To help understand and describe the essence of The Macallan in Spanish oak and in American oak, they used an aroma oil kit. As a result, I got to go on a sensory adventure with perfumer Roja Dove and David Cox, director of The Macallan’s Fine and Rare whiskies.

I learned that to be considered a Scotch it has to be stored in oak and can't go below 40% alcohol. Like wine, the more it ages the more mature it gets and richer in flavor as it has more time to absorb the flavors found in the oak. The oldest bottle of The Macallan was 64 years and it sold at auction for charity for ... you won't believe how much ... $460,000! I hope it tasted amazing.

In the end, I came away with an idea of the type of The Macallan that best suited me, which was The Macallan 15 years old in American fine oak! It's a light color, smelling floral and a bit of cinnamon, it has a deep rich chocolate, with a hint of orange and tropical fruit flavor. Most of all, it was smooth and not spicy or fiery like some scotch whiskey. However, this last week whenever I was out I only saw the 12 or 18 year. Hopefully, more bars will start carrying the 15 year too.

At home Pumpkin Facial

This Halloween season I made good use out of the pumpkins we carved. First, I baked the seeds for some salty treats and per a tip in the October issue of Good Housekeeping, I used the inside leftovers to make a DIY facial mask. Apparently, the good-for-you gourd is full of exfoliating enzymes that brighten skin.

Halloween Mask:

Mix 2 teaspoons of pureed pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon of honey
1/4 teaspoon of heavy cream

It was definitely sticky and runny, but after applying it to my face for 10 minutes and washing it off with warm water, my skin was smoother and more glowing. So, when you're carving your pumpkin this season, save the insides for more than just pie.

On the carving front, Raphael and I did the big scary pumpkin eating the little pumpkin without a stencil and my uncle carved the headless horseman one. Whatcha think?

Advanced look at the new series Boss

Earlier this week, I got to attend an advanced screening of the new Starz drama Boss. It's like a modern Boardwalk Empire, showing all the secret dealings and the power struggles that go into controlling a city. It also reminded me of a grittier version of The West Wing and how it showed what's going on behind the curtain.

The series stars Kelsey Grammer as a tormented and crooked mayor of Chicago. I'm a huge fan of Frasier, so was a bit skeptical of him playing such a serious and unlovable role, but he does a really good job. The first episode opens up with him receiving some hard news and the emotion in his eyes and face is really powerful. However, you don't feel bad for him for too long as you soon discover he's no hero. Kathleen Robertson also stars as a legal aid, but you might remember her as Claire from Beverly Hills 90210.

The series is filmed very artistically, with interesting camerawork, closeups and effects. At times the camera is shaky even, making the look feel more raw and realistic.

It was a bit slow at first, but then took off. By the time the credits came up, I felt like I had just seen a film, rather than one episode. It also left me wanting more.

Here's the trailer:

Boss premiers on Starz this Friday, Oct. 21, but you can watch the first episode online now. See for yourself and let me know what you thought too.

Update: Just ordered Starz to watch this series, but right now on Starz.com they have a $25 cash back rebate, so it should even out.

PPS: Boss and Kelsey are both nominated for Golden Globes!

A seaworthy wedding in Marblehead

Last weekend, I had the honor of being in my friend Jacquie's wedding in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

The bridesmaid gown was an A-line knee length dress made of a silky taffeta material in a color called peacock from Jim Hjelm Couture. Somehow I was able to find the exact shade of blue/green nail polish too.

Since the reception was held at a yacht club, the bride embraced a nautical theme with seashell designs on the wedding invites and seating placement cards. She also surprised her guests by arriving to the reception by boat. Luckily, it was a gorgeously sunny day, perfect for on the water.

Most weddings have guests sign a picture frame or a guest book, but at this wedding they creatively had a weathered looking white oar to sign instead. Instead of just signing our names, I wanted to write something funny. So, also embracing the theme, I jokingly wrote U.S.S. Tara & Raphael and drew a picture of an anchor :)

I also adored the bouquets of white roses, hydrangeas and dahlias, which carried over to the wedding cake and center pieces as well. Just look at the white flowers with purple tips. Oh, and you can see the sun setting out the windows behind the cake.

Lastly, the bride and groom were already thinking ahead to their thank you notes. Instead of selecting a general wedding photo to include in their responses, they opted on holding the below vintage looking wooden sign painted with the words "Thank You" printed. Such a fun idea.

Tool School

Last week, I attended a Tool School for women where I learned extremely helpful home improvement tips over drinks and apps hosted by Liquid-Plumr and toolbelt diva Norma Vally. Expert DIY-r Norma grew up in the construction business and now teaches women ways to save hundreds a dollars a year fixing common problems around the house.

First, we learned how to unclog a drain using Liquid-Plumr's new Double Impact Snake & Gel system. The cool thing is that the snake is disposable and easier to use than the old-school wire ones.

Her trick to restore stainless steel shine and remove finger prints from appliances was particularly interesting. She started by spraying a messy stainless steel fridge with an all-purpose spray cleaner like Formula 409 and wiped it down. Then, she wiped down the fridge with some rubbing alcohol on a soft microfiber cloth. For the finishing touch, she used olive oil to polish the surface. She also recommended that if there is a "grain" to the stainless steel to buff only in that same direction. You can see below the one section that she did and how shiny it looks.

Also, a lot of people clean and deodorize their garbage disposals with lemons, but Norma says it's still food and not a cleaner. Coming soon though Liquid-Plumr is releasing a disposal and drain foaming cleaner in small packs that you can put down the disposal. I also like to put Pine-Sol down my drain once and awhile, makes the whole place smell fresh.

We also learned how to improve sink water pressure by cleaning out the aerator and how to replace a shower head. We walked away with own tool kit too, very empowering!

Wordless Wednesday: It's a sign

Ink it Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

As October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, I wanted to share the Sharpie Ink it Pink campaign with you.

The program asks people to upload their pink signature and for each signature submitted Sharpie will donate $1 to City of Hope’s women’s cancer research and treatment center. Signatures will be collected until October 31st online here. Please send in yours to easily help raise money for the cause! A bunch of celebs have posted their autographs too.

Here is the one that I uploaded:

Gap jeans giveaway worth $90

As a Gap Ambassador, Brand About Town just sent me some must-have premium denim jeans for Fall and a coupon to giveaway.

I'm especially loving the Ponte Legging Jean ($69.95), which I've been wearing from last year, but they have now been updated in a super soft ponte fabric. The double knit material holds its shape beautifully and the five-pocket styling gives it a denim sensibility. They feel like I'm wearing leggings as they are stretchy, tight fitting and still comfortable, but these provide more warmth than typical leggings due to the thicker fabric. Now that I'm dealing with East Coast weather it's definitely appreciated.

Below I paired them with a long top and boots that I just got on HauteLook. I can't wait to experiment with a bunch of other tops this Fall!

Although I received a pair in black, I'm so going out and buying the olive shade too:

For those in L.A. you can check out Gap's Los Angeles design studio on West Pico Blvd, which has an even larger selection of their 1969 premium denim jeans.

Enter here to win your own pair of Gap 1969 jeans worth up to $90.00 retail!! The gift certificate is valid till the end of the year too, so you can take your time selecting just the right fit.

How to enter: Just leave a comment here by Friday, Oct. 14, but please don't forget to leave your email address in the body of your comment or link back to a blogger profile or website that actually has your email address on it.

Update: Congrats to Calli!

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DIY Coastal Centerpiece

I'm not very crafty in the do-it-yourself sense, but I got inspired by the below photo in Good Housekeeping this month. Since I'm in the middle of furnishing and redoing a vacation property/rental that we bought in Naples, Florida I thought this bright beach look would be perfect. I'm even going to paint the walls in a similar yellow too.

According to the magazine a glass centerpiece keeps the look light. So, I also picked up a large glass vase from World Market and went "shelling" over the weekend for some natural treasures on the beach. I then added in a pillar candle and tried arranging the shells around it to show off the best ones. What do you think?