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Turandot

posted on : September 20, 2017 posted by : nicolesteinthal 0 Comment

I am working on a special project with one of our incredible jewelry sponsors and the Metropolitan Opera for the 50th anniversary of the Opera house!   We are excited to be able to arrange a BLOG OUTING to see Puccini’s incredible last opera Turandot, the grand spectacle of China, on October 21st at 8pm.  Tickets are extremely limited.  They are $120 for fabulous Orchestra seats. Email me HERE to be included in this very special night.  In case you do not know the incredible story here it is…

The opera’s version of the story is set in China and involves Prince Calaf, who falls in love with the ice cold Princess Turandot. To obtain permission to marry her, a suitor has to solve three riddles; any wrong answer results in death. Calaf passes the test, but Turandot still refuses to marry him. He offers her a way out: if she is able to learn his name before dawn the next day, then at daybreak he will die. In the original story by Nizami, the princess sets four conditions. The first is “a good name and good deeds”, and then the three challenges.

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Fall Planters

posted on : September 20, 2017 posted by : nicolesteinthal 0 Comment

I am starting to think of fall decor, inside and out.  I want to do something different with my planters.  I love the look of all of the arrangements below……especially the ones with the pumpkins.  I would love to incorporate a pumpkin or two in my outdoor planters.  A trick I heard that makes pumpkins last longer (and keeps the squirrels away) is to spray them with a clear varnish like this.  Happy Planting!!!

image lovefeasttable

image Pretty Pink Tulips

images Pinterest

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Book Club Monday

posted on : September 18, 2017 posted by : nicolesteinthal 0 Comment

Today’s Book Club Monday choice is No One Is Coming To Save Us by Stephanie Powell Watts.  I first learned about this book because it was one of Sarah Jessica Parker’s favorite books of the summer.  I was instantly intrigued and decided to look into it.  Here is the story:

JJ Ferguson has returned home to Pinewood, North Carolina, to build his dream house and to pursue his high school sweetheart, Ava. But as he reenters his former world, where factories are in decline and the legacy of Jim Crow is still felt, he’s startled to find that the people he once knew and loved have changed just as much as he has. Ava is now married and desperate for a baby, though she can’t seem to carry one to term. Her husband, Henry, has grown distant, frustrated by the demise of the furniture industry, which has outsourced to China and stripped the area of jobs. Ava’s mother, Sylvia, caters to and meddles with the lives of those around her, trying to fill the void left by her absent son. And Don, Sylvia’s unworthy but charming husband, just won’t stop hanging around. 
JJ’s return—and his plans to build a huge mansion overlooking Pinewood and woo Ava—not only unsettles their family, but stirs up the entire town. The ostentatious wealth that JJ has attained forces everyone to consider the cards they’ve been dealt, what more they want and deserve, and how they might go about getting it. Can they reorient their lives to align with their wishes rather than their current realities? Or are they all already resigned to the rhythms of the particular lives they lead? – Amazon.com
For more information or to purchase this book, click HERE.

image goodreads.com
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Weekend Real Estate Stalking

posted on : September 17, 2017 posted by : nicolesteinthal 0 Comment

This week’s real estate stalking is an adorable home right here in Rye, NY.  It is in my old neighborhood so it totally pulls at my heart strings.  I love the area and it is so great for raising a family or to downsize when your nest is finally empty.   And, oh so close to the beach and park, where I spent hours with my 3 little ones!!  There is an open house tomorrow from 2-4.  For more information, click HERE to contact Barbie Haynes!!




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Fashionable Friend Friday

posted on : September 16, 2017 posted by : nicolesteinthal 0 Comment

Today’s Fashionable Friend Friday choice is two adorable blog assistants, Greyson and Lulu.  I sent them home with a bunch of Welches new fruit roll up and snack samples.  Their mom, Cindy,  recorded their review and it is right on and totally AWESOME!!!!!   Sometimes you just need a little help from your friends!!!  Thanks Greyson and Lulu!!  Bon Weekend!!!!








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Chicken Tortilla Soup

posted on : September 15, 2017 posted by : nicolesteinthal 0 Comment
I recently found this great recipe for hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup.  Since I have had so much luck with soups lately, I thought I would give this a whirl.  Another home run and my family LOVES anything we can serve with tortilla chips!!!!!!!  I hope you like it too!!  Bon Appetit!!

image bakedbyrachel.com
adapted from cooking classy
1 lb chicken breast
15 oz can sweet whole corn kernels, drained
15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
5 c chicken stock
3/4 c onion, diced
3/4 c green bell pepper, chopped
1 serrano pepper, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp salt, divided 
1 tsp ground pepper, divided
Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
tortilla chips
To your slow cooker add the first 9 ingredients.  Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours
Prior to serving, removed the chicken breast,  Shred with a fork and season with salt and pepper.  Return shredded chicken to slow cooker bowl.  Stir gently.  
Pour soup into bowls and top off with a generous helping of cheese and serve with tortilla chips.