Valentine's At The Vineyards-Dates And Day Trips

Friday Favorites!

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I thought I'd share one of my favorite vineyards and wineries here in CT. If you've never visited a local winery you're in for a surprise.  It's the perfect Valentine's Day date or day trip, no matter what the season! 
I hadn't ever though of CT as a vineyard state until I spotted a brochure at the train station a few years back,  advertising the CT wine trail.  It has been my desire to go to California and spend some time in Napa and Sonoma Valley, possibly when we retire!

So anyway, the brochure peeked my interest!  That summer my husband was between jobs and I was looking for ways to have some fun (on a budget) and enjoy the outdoors as we like to do, so exploring the wine trail seamed like a great way to do that.  So off we went…a picnic lunch was all we needed… over the course of the summer and fall we visited sixteen out of the then thirty-two vineyards in our fine state!  For just a few dollars you can do a wine tasting of the wines produced by the vineyard, then, if you like, you can  purchase a bottle of your favorite for either drinking there, while eating your picnic lunch and enjoying the scenery, or taking it home.

Our first stop was the beautiful Gouveia Vineyard in Wallingford, CT.  Friends had invited us there earlier that summer for a get together, they said we'd love it, and certainly were not wrong about that!  We were immediately mesmerized by the beauty of the vineyard! 

In my opinion Gouveia is by far the best for overall scenery and views! The vineyard location sitting atop of Whirlwind Hill says it all!

The pergola was installed a couple of years ago to shade the main patio from the hot summer sun. It is now covered in beautiful Wisteria vines!

  The sunsets here are just magnificent! 

  We've been to Gouveia in all seasons, however the winter is especially nice because of the raw beauty of the landscape.  We were there last year during a snow storm…it was perfect!  The snow did not stop the droves of people coming out to enjoy the vineyard.

And of course Valentine's Day is a great time to visit any vineyard.  I believe it's the perfect date, sitting in front of the large double sided fireplace with your love…how much more romantic can you get!

Out favorite wine at Gouveia is Stonehouse Red, it is a semi dry blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Zinfandel, and has won awards in serveral wine competitions. Paired with a sharp cheese, some Italian bread and fruit it makes a nice picnic lunch. 

Some of the vineyards are true farm vineyards, meaning they grow and harvest their own grapes for wine production.

Since our summer on the CT wine trail we have been back regularly to a select few of the places we found to be the perfect day trip getaways.  Now when we travel out of state, we make it a point to visit the vineyards in the areas we travel.  So far we've tasted wines grown at vineyards in Connecticut, Massachusetes, Rhode Island, Vermont, New York and Pennsylvania.  I plan on writing a post about them in the future.   If you like to go riding in the country and explore new places this is a great day trip adventure!  

Here's a list of the vineyards around the state, and a list here of special Valentine's Day schedules and tastings.

So pack a lunch, or order something to go, and head out this weekend on a Valentine's Day adventure with your sweetheart!

Note:  Please drink wine responsibly…don't drive intoxicated…the best wine in the world is not worth your life or someone else's!

Until next time!

Tina

Transformation Tuesday, Two Exterior and interior Makeovers

Happy Tuesday folks,  I hope your week is off to a great start!  Did you get any weekend projects done? If not, I hope this weeks Transformation Tuesday projects will get the your ideas flowing and give you some inspiration for next weekend! 

The weather here in the northeast is is getting chilly, but we've had some really nice autumn days.  Pretty soon it will be to late for the outdoor projects so roll up your sleeves and get started before it's to late!

I'm sharing two projects today, one my hubby and I did on a hot July weekend this summer on our front entry.  And in case it's already to cold for out door projects in your neck of the woods, or you have guests coming for Thanksgiving, I found a great bathroom fix up project that you can easily do before the turkey comes out of the oven! Well, maybe not that quick, but easy!

First up: Our front Entry.

We have an older Cape Cod style home, quaint but plum full of projects, even after 30 years of living here!  I swear, by the time you get around to all the necessary projects, the first one you did needs an update already!  This is the real world, not a TV show fixer upper!

Front Garden

 Here's a shot of the front of the house and garden in early spring, (don't mind the dead grass) the crabgrass fills out beautifully later in the season! There is along concrete sidewalk leading to the front door.  That's another project I'd like to tackle some year!

Front Entry

One of the quaint, but unfunctional, elements of the house is this front entry.  Although it's great for wiping your feet and getting out of the weather, it really is too small inside to do much of anything decorative. So inside I gave it a new coat of paint and called it a day. The blue stone landing stepping stones that were there seamed to have sunken into the earth over the years causing the rain water and ice in the winter to make a pretty deep puddle in front of the door.
When I got to pulling back the overgrown ivy, grass and Pachysandra vines that were there I discovered the blue stones were actually much wider than they appeared and quite a bit thicker than we thought!

Blue stone Slabs

After much sweat and tears, this is what we dug out of the earth! Three large blue stone slabs.  The largest was over five feet long and five inches thick!  Now let me remind you, this was a hot weekend in July and we were trying to get most of the digging done before the sun came over the roof of the house to the front…we didn't make it! Yes, that is hubby taking a much needed break!

Step One-Dig Out!


So, after seeing how large these blue stone slabs were, the plan was to dig out an area the width of the entry and  wide enough to make a nice landing area with a step up from the sidewalk.  We had these old cobblestones and used them for the border, they were just the right height for a step up.

"Set in Stone"

After laying a thick bed of paver stone base and sand we set the blue stone making sure there was a slight pitch to one side for water runoff. Mind you, moving these stones into position was no easy task!  Thank God my hubby has learned how to use his head instead of back over the years! 

Finally all stones in place!

Now there is a nice size landing area for the large planters as well as a small step up which give a feeling of grander entrance.  The rain no longer puddles and hopefully the snow and ice this winter will be easier to manage.  I sure hope we don't get the amount we had last year!

Next up: quick and easy bathroom makeover

I found a photo on Pintrest of this bath makeover project and though it was a great transformation!

It was done by fellow blogger Katie Bower of BowerPower . You can see the full story on her blog page.  The transformation shows how a little paint, new lighting and a few accessories can have  a powerful effect on a small space.  With home improvement stores like Lowes and Home Depot changing out cabinet hardware, faucets and lighting is budget friendly solution to a quick and low cost update.

                         

Painted Vanity

Afresh coat of pain is an easy update to a dated vanity.

Great Fabric

New lighting

You can see more of Lowes creative Ideas on Pintrest.

Ok, it's Tuesday, you have a few days until the weekend…what project are you going to tackle this weekend?  So, get all your ideas in place and your supplies and materials ready before the end of the week so you can transform your space!

Thanks for stopping by, and please feel free to comment or ask questions. I'd love to hear from you.  You can also post a photo of your transformation on the Facebook page here!

The Best Kept Secret In Litchfield County!

 Topsmead State Forest

I stumbled upon this gem of a property by accident several years ago while exploring the many interesting and winding back roads our state has to offer.  I like to explore, so my husband loves it when I say, "Lets take this road and see where it goes"!  I also love it when my work takes me through towns and areas I'm unfamiliar with.  I've often found the most interesting places that I would never have known about otherwise!

Topsmead is a Connecticut State Forest property found in beautiful Litchfield County, CT.  It was the summer home of Edith Morton Chase, her father Henry Sabin Chase was the first president of the Chase Brass and Copper Company of Waterbury, CT.  Waterbury was nicknamed the "Brass City"  during the early part of the twentieth century due to it being the leading center of manufacturing of brassware in the United States.

As with most affluent families, having a summer home out of the city was an important part of their lifestyle.  Edith's father gave her sixteen acres atop Jefferson Hill in Litchfield where she then built a rustic cabin for her summer retreats.  In 1923 she hired architect Richard Henry Dana, Jr to design the current English Tudor style cottage.  Miss Chase wanted it to be part of the landscape and they took great care in planning both the house and gardens to complement the natural beauty surrounding the estate.  Edith Morton Chase cared a great deal about the environment. She never married or had children so when she passed away in 1972 she left the entire estate to the people of CT. She wanted Topsmead to "be kept in a state of natural beauty" and set up an endowment to ensure that it would be maintained for all to enjoy.

When I first saw this, estate upon the hill, I was mesmerized, not only with the casual beauty of the house, but the setting on which it sits. I certainly see why it's said to be a "precious piece of a past era".  You are definitely taken back in time to a simpler way of life, free of hectic schedules and noisy cities.  I've been back many times over the past few years, in different seasons, to enjoy the many gardens, trails and house tour.  Yes, you can even tour the house on certain weekend hours through October!  The best part is there is no fee to park or enjoy the surroundings.  It is a great place to take your dogs walking and the meadow gardens are perfect for birdwatching.  I just want to notate this is not a picnic park with fire pits and tables, playgrounds or swimming.  You can certainly pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the surroundings.  Please enjoy the photos I've taken over the years here. I have so many it will be hard to choose which ones to use!  I hope they inspire you to take a ride to the Litchfield Hills for a peek at this fabulous gem.  But don't tell to many people…..it will be our secret!

Almost Sunset

A glimpse of the house from the pond trail

The cottage seams large from a distance, however once you arrive at the gardens, it seams to shrink and become part of the landscape!

A simle wooden gate leads you into the sunken garden

Benches are strategically placed ouround the property for your viewing enjoyment!

Come sit a spell and listen to the soothing sound of the trickling fountain

In the spring, the Peonies are a fragrant and welcoming sight!

Climbing Hydrangeas grow abundantly here.

The South facing garden has something different blooming all season long.

The gardens as well as the grounds are kept meticulously groomed by friendly staff.

There is a fabulous view from every window inside the house!

This one is the view from the dining room!

The kitchen was very state of the art for those days.

Butlers Pantry

The furniture in the cottage is all original, they haven't touched a thing.

Exquisite details and craftsmanship found everywhere!

This is the main drive up to the front door where guests would arrive.

And now for a walk down memory lane….

One time when I was there late afternoon, I was able to watch the sunset along with a moonrise, what a treat!

 

The wildlife viewing blind.

There are still some trails here I haven't explored yet…so maybe I'll see you on one of them!

Until next time…enjoy the journey!

Tina