Global Bond Day!

Today is Global Bond Day and after listening to Europa Plus (Euro Trash alert!), I got inspired to post a question for everyone:

Who is your favorite, butt-kicking, Bond Beauty?

Image Courtesy of Newslite.tv

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiM8G2KFfU8&feature=related - Great compilation of Bond Beauties :)

Happy Friday!

TGIF - B&B staycations

I meant for this Ritz and Rave to be posted much earlier, so that all of you good folk have a chance to book your staycations or at least browse but I had a date with my precious niece...

Polka Fist  :)

Ok... Focus!!!
So with this beautiful weather outside, bright foliage, fall festivals happening all around, why not escape to a local Bed & Breakfast to soak up the warmth of the autumn.  Here is a quick review or our favorite.

Hollerstown Hill B&B, Frederick MD (http://www.hollerstownhill.com/)

Raves:  Betty and Phil - the most gracious and nicest innkeepers that will entertain you with all kinds of stories, Betty's casseroles, charming breakfast table setting, beautiful historically restored house, amazing plumbing system that will put modern hotels to shame, little details in every room, Cottage Garden room - private bath and porch, far enough from the downtown Frederick to avoid the noise, WiFi - because we need to blog :)

Rants:  Betty's collection of dolls (I like dolls just not in those quantities), dark interior - the rooms are a bit dark which makes it hard for us girls to freshen up, NOT walking distance from downtown Frederick - despite what the website says, and sorry to say but get the coffee out of Keurig machine unless you prefer coffee flavored hot water.

Living Room

Cottage Garden Room

Tea Set

Confederate Chess Set

Clawfoot Bathtub 

Hope you get to explore your part of town this fall season.  As always, I would love to get more suggestions on all your Ritz and Raves :)

Special Rave in pictures - Voltaggio Virtue

This Rave is long long long overdue.... It is all about Volt!
Last week my Hubbs and I got a chance to go back and indulge ourselves in the culinary creations of Brian Voltaggio and his team, so here it is in pictures because let's be honest, who really reads when it comes to food :)

Bacon Brioche

Bacon Brioche 

Blue Crab avocado, soy, yuzu, coriander

 

Ravioli chanterelle mushroom, green garlic, corn

Beef short rib kennebeck potato, maroon carrot, chive

 

Beet goat cheese, coffee, navel orange

 And sweet extras

Thank you!

 This is where it all happens: http://www.voltrestaurant.com/index.htm
                                           http://www.voltaggiobrothers.com/

1st Edition of Autumn Raves

Fall is in the air and it is so lovely.  I just love the rich palette of golds, greens, reds, and browns against a crisp blue sky.  So it made perfect sense to spend last couple of days out and about.  Here is a quick recap of our 1st Autumn Raves.

Chrysalis Vineyards, Middleburg, VA (http://www.chrysaliswine.com/)
Raves:  great wine (although a bit overpriced), outdoor community grills, live music, breathtaking views.
Rants:  wine prices - we thought that $37 for a table wine was a bit over the top, porter potties - again at $37 for a table wine they could splurge on a nicer version of a public restroom.

My apologies for the Packing Tape Pipe sculpture in the background (this was our 2nd vineyard...)

Quattro Goomba's Winery, Aldie VA (http://www.goombawine.com/)
Rave:  QGW Frappe Vino, although the Hubbs does not approve, I absolutely loved the idea of a frozen wine cocktail, it's refreshing and a great alternative to a sangria, Quattro the Pizza Shop, a real restroom.
Rant:  wine, it was terrible, I think it only works for the Frappe mix and to prove my theory, the Featured Staff Favorite was a Sonoma Cabernet... The place is small, with limited seating and parking, and did I mention that they have an actual restroom :)

Frappe Vino Mix to take home

Staff Favorite and my special napkins

And now to a more child friendly review, Homestead Farm, Poolesville MD (http://www.homestead-farm.net/)
Rave:  nice apple orchard that offers a good variety of apples along with other produce, live animals, outdoor sinks with soap (for after you try to feed the goat), a good size produce store, and a very nice pick your own flower patch.
Rant:  a bit pricey on the caramel apples ($3.50/pop), soap dispensers were out of soap, and slim pickings as far as staff on hand.

HAPPY FALL TO EVERYONE!

TGIF Gangnam Style!

Yes, we are soooo jumping on the Gangnam bandwagon...

The biggest Rave to  "Oppa, Gangnam Style!!!"

Miami sans South Beach

 So my incredible Hubbs decided to do a little getaway for Labor Day to Miami, to which I had little argument.  However, this time we decided to forgo the craziness of South Beach and just try to enjoy Miami "old couple" style...  shame on you if you are nodding your head, you are not supposed to agree :)

Here is an Instagram Collage of our Trip

Raves:  St. Regis Bal Harbour ( http://exclusives.stregis.com/St-Regis-Bal-Harbour-Resort-1591/so.htm?PS=PS_aa_South_Google_st_regis_bal_harbour_Exact_053111_NAD_FM ),

St. Regis Champagne Sabering Tradition,

American Charcuterie plate from the Rusty Pelican in Key Biscayne - which was very surprising for a chain restaurant.

Rants: overpriced winelist and pretensious staff at the Forge Restaurant (http://www.theforge.com/), automatically added gratuity of 20% (too bad for the times when we wanted to tip more), St. Regis waffle robe - why would one starch a bathrobe, and Miami International Airport - where you walk through a 10 mile maze before getting to the rental car lot/parking.

So there you have it, the list is small but we only spent 2 nights there.  The clubs, the beach, and multitudes of half naked tourists were not missed one bit.  It was nice to discover the other side of Miami, a more subdued and almost family friendly.

Weekend meals

One of my favorite summer vegetables to get from a farmer's market is corn.  I could eat it grilled, boiled, in salad, salsas, as a side dish, any way, any time :)  So here is a recipe that I got from www.allrecipes.com and tweaked a little to my taste.  My son and Hubbs, who happen to be pretty picky, actually had more than one helping.

Summer Corn Salad
Ingredients: 
3corn ears, husked and cleaned
1 large tomato, diced or cubed
half of onion, diced
1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs white vinegar
1 tbs italian dressing
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook corn, then drain, cool, and cut kernels off the cob with a sharp knife. 

In a large bowl, toss together all of the ingredients. 

Chill until serving.

Enjoy!

Richmond - an ignored cousin of the Washington Metro Area

So after an unexpected and frustrating delay on I- 95 last night, I made it to Westin of Richmond to surprise my Hubbs.  After a night of wine, cheese, and mini toasts (my new addiction), I was ready to explore Richmond in all its' vintage glory.

Oh Bordeaux, how I love you :)

Might be buying in bulk soon

Power Breakfast for my adventure

Carrytown, Richmond VA - http://www.carytownrva.com/, a gem in the RVA area and the best part is plenty of free parking, or maybe the parking fairie was on my side.  Lots of "one of a kind" shops, vintage, thrift, antiques, cafes, yogurt places, tattoo parlors, and a Subway :)  

So here are the Rants and Raves for Carrytown:

Raves - parking, historic buildings, unique stores, friendly staff even if you don't buy anything, wide array of choices, semi kid friendly, and much lower prices than in DC.

Rants - smokers (I know I'm in the Phillip Morris territory but it was a bit too much); seems that there is a high turnover in shops, so if you are going to buy something make sure you really want it; uneven floors inside the stores since the buildings are old, so watch your step (learned it the hard way); little number of coffee shops or other people watching places.  

Adorable wine tags from Mongrel http://www.mongrelonline.com/

Original work at Urban Row LLC, where everything is handmade by American artists.

I took a picture of this Bistro for my Hubbs.  

There you have it.  While Richmond would not be my first place to visit when in VA, I would certainly like to come back to Carrytown for the fabulous shopping that it has to offer.  Where else can you find Charles David shoes for $50?

Don't forget to care and share,

Mrs. Ritz

What are some of the "ignored" places  you can suggest?  Would love to hear from you

Snap bracelets recall by Toysmith

Popular snap bracelets recall!!! I know my son and his schoolmates love the bracelets, so I thought I'd pass this on.

http://www.examiner.com/article/toysmith-s-snap-bracelets-recalled-for-laceration-hazard




On another note, our anniversary yesterday was off to a rough start but ended up being very nice and cozy.  I will give details in a bit, complete with pics :)

4 months of wedding bliss and counting

Today is our 4 months wedding anniversary!  And my Hubbs remembered it... thanks to me casually mentioning it yesterday :)  Nevertheless, I got a very sweet text from him today, and I think I might just take a little trip to visit him at his current work site to surprise him.
So here is my Rave for this morning: Edward Underwood Photography - our wedding photographer who was able to capture the magic of our special day.

http://www.edwardunderwood.com/blog/?page/57985/home#

Big bling - Chaumet http://www.chaumet.com/bridal-engagement-rings-frisson

Wedding bands - Liljenquist http://www.landbjewelry.com/pages/weddingrings.asp

Ring bowl - Paloma's nest http://palomasnest.com/

Please care and share,

Mrs. Ritz :)

Staycation in the City

So this past Saturday, my Hubbs and I decided to go into the city to unwind.  We ended up staying at the W  (http://www.starwoodhotels.com/whotels/property/photos/index.html?propertyID=3279&language=en_US) which was nice but not as impressive.  Our room did have an amazing view of Washington DC , but it was small and had a weird all glass bathroom.  One of the biggest dislikes about W hotels for me is that the decor of the hallways is so dark.  It feels as if you are in a dungeon.  The biggest disappointment, however, was the Rooftop POV bar.  Perhaps I am just too old for crowded and pretentious places with poor liquor selection.  but how can a bar not have Stoli!!!!  Anyhoo, here is the list of rants and raves after our staycation:

Raves:  Cop-bartender at Tony and Joe's, Georgetown Waterfront, fillet at Bistro La Bonne (http://www.bistrolabonne.com/), the W hotel bed, view of our nation's capital from the W Hotel, oysters and burgers from Old Ebbitt Grill (http://www.ebbitt.com/main/home.cfm?Section=Main&Category=About_the_Ebbitt) with a side of sarcasm from Nicole the bartender :)

Rants: glass bathrooms at the W hotel, POV at the W, $50/day valet parking for guests at the W, getting asked to show the hotel room key (didn't think I looked like an escort, not sure whether or not to take it as a compliment), 2+ inch platforms that are worn by ladies that don't know how to walk in them, No Stoli!!!!

All in all it was a nice escape from the suburbs.  Now back to reality, but I am very excited about tomorrow.  I am supposed to receive my kit from my new obsession:  www.oxana.dolcemia.com  I love love love their products.  The scents are heavenly and the quality is outstanding.  Updates and photos are to come!

Please share and care,

Oksasha