spring jacket

I’m loving the recent change in weather but I’m not prepared for spring at all! My biggest problem right now is finding a spring jacket. I love the look of a classic trench but I want something a little more exciting – maybe in a vibrant color like red or green. Well I haven’t found the perfect one yet so for now the hunt continues! -Maria

girl scout cookies!

Since I am such a great aunt (and I have a secret obsession for tagalongs) I ordered several boxes of Girl Scout Cookies! I ordered some for home and work – samoas for Rich (his favorite), tagalongs for me of course and an assortment of others for my family…and maybe the tartelettes if they actually survive more then 2 days in my house! Heather R also ordered some from her relatives so we should be on cookie overload soon...yum! -Maria

Restaurant Week!

For the past week I've been on a mission to get as many reservations as possible during 2008's Restaurant Week - it's the best time to try new places and visit some favorites. I think Rich may be getting a bit overwhelmed with my plan though since I'm pretty much booking up our entire week! -Maria

Brrrrrr...

I think the only thing that’s going to get me through the winter is my January vacation. Anyone who knows me well knows I am just not a cold weather person, so all I can think about when I’m bundled in layers of clothes, jackets and scarves is the beaches of the Dominican Republic! It’s about 40 days away – hopefully I don’t totally freeze by then! -Maria

happy halloween!

Happy Halloween! I love the fun surrounding this holiday (alright, the candy is a perk too), although I didn’t dress up for work today. It’s ok though, because I’m dressing up for my friend’s Halloween party on Saturday and I can not wait! My friend Erin and I are surprising everyone at the party so I can’t get into detail about our costumes here, but they are truly outrageous! -Maria

Prison Break Returns

08/29/07

~I’m anxiously awaiting the return of one of my favorite series of all time, Prison Break. I’m literally counting down the days until September 17th – it feels like an eternity since last season ended and I’ve been pining for a new episode ever since! Besides being a great show I look forward to having Monday night quality time with Rich – usually one of us has to compromise while the other watches sports (Rich) or reruns of Law & Order (me). This is one show that we are both really into and it’s become a fun tradition to make dinner and watch the show together every Monday night! -maria

iPhone Favorites

07/31/07

~I am so happy; my very wonderful boyfriend won an iPhone and gave it to me on Friday! I’ve been playing with it all weekend to try to learn all the cool little features since I refuse to read a training manual. My favorite features so far are the visual voicemail and the texting conversations. My next task is to load all of my songs onto it so I can officially retire my iPod! -maria

Waiting for the Domincan Republic

07/02/07

~I’m so excited; I just booked a trip to the Domincan Republic! Rich and I are going with one of my best friend and her boyfriend during the week of her birthday so it’s sure to be a really good time! The trip isn’t until January 2008 which is great because it gives me time to lose some weight – good thing Levi is around to help whip me into shape! -maria

Adopt a Pet

05/18/07


~Lately I haven’t been able to volunteer as much at the New Rochelle Humane Society as I’d like to, so I’m really excited about volunteering to man the Society’s table at the Mamaroneck Historic Harbor Street Fair on June 3rd. we’ll have one of the dogs with us, as well as some information on the shelter and other animals that are available for adoption. I hope that it makes an impact and some of the animals will finally find a home! -maria

april 2007

04/27/07

~All this gross rain is giving me a sinus headache and makes me want to hide under the covers all day. On the other hand, it’s also getting me that much more excited for my upcoming vacation to Mexico!! Words cannot express how much I’m looking forward to six days of doing absolutely nothing. I am also a big fan of the “eat whatever you want” vacation method, especially when it means mounds of quesadillas and salty margaritas. Which is why I look forward to having Levi kick my butt for the next 3 weeks…so I can prematurely undo the damage! -alexis

04/23/07

~As a continuation of my last blog, I have been looking into tennis lessons and actually bought a new racket over the weekend. I played at the outdoor courts near my house and have a very sore right arm, and slight tan, to show for it. My next task is to set up my first lesson so that I’m not hitting the ball like I would a baseball. I’m really not as uncoordinated as I looked! -heather r



04/20/07

~I am so excited because me and 12 of my sorority sisters from college are going to Atlantic City for the weekend! As I'm sure you know coordinating dinner for 4 friends can sometimes be impossible so the fact that 13 of us are going is practically a miracle. Nothing's better then a weekend of going out, gambling and Gamma Girls...now let's just hope some of us win! -maria

04/18/07

~So yesterday I celebrated my 24th Birthday! The tarte girls celebrated with me and we enjoyed a lovely dessert of fruit salad and whipped cream (yum!). I also received my coveted Tory Burch Ballet Flats that I've been craving!! They are lime green and SO CUTE. I can't wait for the weather to get a little nicer so I can wear them! Next year I'm craving a pony! :-) -erica

04/16/07

~Heather’s wedding was so much fun! First and foremost, the bride looked beautiful—a true Barbie. The weather turned out being perfect and the ceremony left a few of us tartelettes teary-eyed. All of the food was delicious. From the mini cheese raviolis and the beef medallions to the mini cream puffs, let’s not even discuss how much I devoured! After filling my belly, it was on to the dance floor where we tore it up (there may even exist a video of Alexis & me working our moves). What a great way to kick-off the wedding season for me—I have at least 1 a month now! -candace

04/13/07

~I can’t believe it’s finally time for Heather’s wedding (especially because it means mine was already 6 months ago!). Even though I got the privilege of seeing her in her dress already (at her fitting), I’m excited to see her walk down the aisle! Then I will be in withdrawal for 2 weeks while my officemate is in Hawaii. In the meantime, the rest of us tartelettes are scrambling to find cute little jackets and wraps to go over our dresses because no one was anticipating the 40-something degree weather. So much for my strapless dress & bare legs! -alexis

04/11/07

~Tomorrow will officially be one month before I leave for my 16 day expedition around Europe with my boyfriend. We’ll fly in to Rome, make our way towards Florence, then on to Venice. After a few relaxing days in Italy, the overnight train will take us to beautiful Paris where we will spend 2 lovely nights. After we’ve soaked up all that Paris has to offer, we’ll board another overnighter and head to Barcelona, and finally to Madrid where we will spend 3 nights relaxing before we fly back home. Yes, just thinking about it makes me feel more at ease. I think I can safely say that in all the vacations I have ever taken, I have never needed one more than I do now. -julia

04/09/07

~With spring upon us and summer fast approaching, it’s time for me to change my dark brown locks to a fun and flirty dark blonde. I won’t be going platinum or anything, although I have always wondered what it would be like…just some highlights and low lights to go with my new tan! The celebs hair that I’m going after is Drew Barrymore’s new ‘do, and I’ll have it just in time for Heather P’s wedding this weekend too! -heather r
04/06/07

~As you’re reading this I am at QVC preparing for our 1 hour show today, Friday April 6th, at 4 pm (EST). We all get so excited about the shows, but I’m especially excited about this one because we have a few special guests (you have to tune in to see!). Then we’ll be back on Saturday at 7 pm (EST) with a new kit that is a personal favorite of mine. Now I know why everyone loves watching QVC – the new items and the amazing values are something that just can’t be beat! -maria

04/04/07

~It been a week since I've come back from Miami and my sunkissed glow is fading fast! Luckily Maureen introduced to Comondynes self-tanning wipes form QVC awhile ago. Now I'm totally addicted to them! They really give me a natural tan that's not too orange or fake looking. I even asked my Mom for a new supply for my Birthday! -erica

04/02/07

~Any Season 6 American Idol fans out there? Me too! Seriously, what’s going on this season? Please, don’t vote for the worst anymore!! Every week I just wait for Sanjaya to get the boot. It’s painful to watch. My top 2 picks: Blake (I really want him to win!) and Melinda Dolittle (she never disappoints). I’m keeping my fingers crossed for my boy, Blake! -candace

february 2007

02/26/07

~Maria and I got to hang out on Saturday and I finally got to see her new dog Rocky! He is so cute and so BIG, I brought him a new squeaky dog toy which he just loved. After playing with Rocky we went to the movies to see "The Number 23" which we both liked and would definitely recommend to anyone that likes thrillers. -erica

02/12/07

~The wedding invitations are officially out! I can't believe the wedding is now 2 months away. It's very exciting but at the same time, it's kind of nerve -racking! Now it's actually coming soon and there is still so much to do! I'm thinking John might have been right when he was lobbying for us to elope! -heather

02/05/07

~If you check out my craving for the month you’ll see that I wanted a home for Trixie and all the other dogs at the New Rochelle Humane Society. Well, my craving came true – Trixie was adopted! Better yet, my parents decided to adopt Kodiak from the shelter this past weekend! He’s the most adorable, huggable, bear of a dog you’ll ever meet and I can’t wait until he comes home. He’s been renamed Rocky by my dad, which I have to say suits him well, but I’ll always think of him as Bear! -maria

november 2006

11/29/06

~I am beyond excited—I just found out that I got into an intensive perfume workshop next week! This workshop is only held twice a year at one of the major perfume houses—a master perfumer comes over from Europe to teach intensive, full-day courses about the history of perfume, study of raw materials, study of synthetic materials, etc. It’s basically my dream come true. I am sort of a perpetual student-slash-geek at heart, so I’m already preparing to get a nice shiny new notebook & pen. Seriously cannot wait!! -alexis


11/13/06

~If you haven’t yet, I urge you to go see The Departed. This is seriously the best movie I’ve seen this year. I walked out of the movie theatre and all I could utter to my boyfriend was, “wow, this movie is seriously winning some awards…” I mean there are so many good reasons. First and foremost, it’s set in South Boston (wicked, cas, paking) with Boston-native actors (Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, etc) —it’s like Good Will Hunting all over again, but with a lot more blood and gory. The acting is phenomenal and the guys are pretty hot, too! It’s by far my favorite movie! -candace



~Lex is always telling me about this quaint bed & breakfast in Saratoga Springs so I decided to book a nice little getaway weekend for Rich & I. We’re going December 22nd for a 2 night stay and I have a couple of fun outings planned for us – snowmobiling, massages and horseback riding to name a few. I’m totally excited for horseback riding more then anything – the guide said the horses would be wearing bells for Christmas! hehe -maria



11/06/06

~Heather, Maria, and I had a fun Saturday night out on the Upper East Side. Heather's friends organized a bar crawl to a bunch of different bars around the area. Needless to say we all had a great time and maybe we'll do it again soon. I vote to stay in one place like the Brooklyn Brewery and taste all their beers, but then again it wouldn't really be much of a bar crawl! -erica

october 2006

10/30/06

~So after a week of being at work, the dust from the wedding & honeymoon is finally starting to settle. It’s a little tricky to catch up but so nice to have free time again! In any case, the wedding weekend and the following 2 weeks in Fiji were the best weeks of my entire life, hands down. I couldn’t have been happier with the way things went at the wedding—from the flowers to the music to the ceremony to the black & white photobooth (the biggest hit of the night) to the food (which I barely touched, but I heard about) everything was amazing. Actually the only snag was when my best friend and I got up to duet on a song and the backup CD started skipping—oops! I think we saved it by launching into an a cappella rendition, though. Fiji was incredible too—paradise on earth, with the warmest people and incredible food…plus, of course, the scenery! It’s tough to be back, but I’m happy to be with all my tartelettes and being Mrs. DiResta isn’t so shabby either. -alexis

10/23/06

~This weekend Maria & I FINALLY took the cooking class we'd been talking about forever! We went all the way up to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY for an all day "Baking at Home" class. It was so much fun and we made a ton of delicious delights like Buttermilk Biscuits, Lemon Bundt Cake, Cinnamon Raisin Bread, & an incredible Chocolate Devilsfood Cake! We were definitely the star students of the class and got a little competitive with the other students, I think next time we'll move up to an advanced class to really challenge ourselves. -erica

10/18/06

~I think once my boyfriend moves to NYC (Dec/Jan—fingers crossed he finds a job), I’m going to look into teaching gymnastics again on the weekend. Right now, I’m always traveling and don’t have time. When I lived in Boston I taught girls ages 4-13 every Saturday. It was such a blast! I haven’t done it in the past 2 years and I really miss it! That said I’m going to have to get into flipping shape again….that might be a problem! -candace



10/11/06

~Every year I say I’m going to dress up for Halloween and then I never do, but this year I decided I would dress Puppy Kisses up instead. I found the perfect costume for her – a pig! It’s perfect since pigs are my favorite animal, although I don’t think PK is quite sold on the idea yet, lol. -maria

august 2006

08/29/06

~Since this one-month-til-the-wedding mind racing has given me major insomnia lately, I’ve taken to reading books in bed. It helps me take my mind off whatever issue is bugging me at the moment and unlike TV, there’s no chance I’ll accidentally stumble onto something like “Bridezillas.” My book of the moment is Heat by Bill Buford. It’s about the author’s apprenticeship at Babbo with Mario Batali (among other things) and surprisingly, there are a lot of great cooking tips peppered throughout the book, even though it’s by no means a cookbook. Really engaging and definitely does the trick to keep me occupied with other things…worth checking out! -alexis

08/25/06

~Alexis is so good to me, as a thank you for helping her out with stuff for her wedding she got me the coolest nicola vruwink necklace! It's a silver scissor charm since I'm the resident Miss Fix-It and crafter.. I'm a real cut up! hehe -erica





~So last week was my niece’s birthday and I thought it would be fun to take her to the Bronx Zoo since, like me, she is a big animal lover…ok, so the idea was a little selfish since I haven’t been there in a while. Needless to say we both had an amazing time, and although I love going to the zoo anyway nothing beats seeing the joy and excitement on her face when we went through all the different exhibits and, of course, the children’s zoo. And because I am the best aunt ever I even agreed to let her get her face painted like a ladybug, fully knowing that she would fall asleep on the car ride home and get face paint all over my leather seats…but hey, some things are just more important then a clean car! -maria

08/17/06
~If it seems like the tarte girls haven’t been “musing” much lately, it’s because things have been pretty crazy around here, what with all the new babies & weddings going on! (I am especially freaking out myself…less than 2 months to go!). Anyway, last weekend was great because I had my lovely bridal shower (thanks Mom!) and got to spend a GORGEOUS day in East Hampton with my family, friends, and my tartelettes past & present. It was a great day, and I now have more cooking supplies than I could’ve ever dreamed. Expect me to write about my diet in the future…hahaha. -alexis


~Please tell me I’m not the only one who’s truly upset about the outcome of So You Think You Can Dance! I know my friend Darlie agrees! Seriously, I am obsessed with that show and even more obsessed with Travis! He was an unbelievable dancer—I mean his technical skills beat everyone else on that show. I’ll admit I even voted for him last week! In all honesty, I’m still mad about the results! I’m thinking I might get tix to the tour! Who’s with me?! -candace


08/16/06
~I’m so excited for the weekend! Heading to Boston and going to the Red Sox vs. Yankees game at Fenway!!!! My uncle Johnny rocks—at the last minute he was able to find 2 tickets!! And we’re not talking about any old seats—State Street Pavilion Box seats!!!!! The game is going to be so fun! I’m totally into the rivalry and then hitting up happy hour (if my boys win, of course)!! -candace



~I cannot wait, in two days I will be in sunny Miami! I haven't been on a real vacation in a year and the heat in NYC has just been oppressive this summer. So I'm excited to just sit on the beach or by the pool for 5 days straight with a fruity drink in one hand and a good book in the other! -erica

july 2006

07/20/06

~I know I’m probably late to read this, but I just finished The Kite Runner. It was beautifully written and just such a compelling story. I’ll admit I cried a few times throughout the book—just so sad. After finishing such a good book it’s tough to figure out the next read. I stopped in McNally Robinson bookstore to browse and just couldn’t decide—I’m debating on “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” “The Secret Life of Bees,” or “My Sister’s Keeper.” If anyone has read a great non-fiction book or a sappy love story (I’m a sucker for those), please send recommendations!!! Thanks! -candace

07/17/06

~I am so excited, my favorite show Project Runway is back! Although I’m kind of nervous too…because can anything really stack up against Santino & Andrae? I’m hoping this season is just as good as last…but if not, thanks to the good people of YouTube, I can always go back and revisit my favorites! -alexis

07/11/06

~Sunday was completely insane, in a good way! It was the World Cup final, Italy v France and Italy won! Every Italian neighborhood in the area exploded – streets were shut down, impromptu parades broke out – literally every car, building, street pole, parking meter…EVERYTHING was red, white and green. Someone even painted their dog, which was kinda sad but still really cute and funny. There was screaming, chanting and blaring horns from the second the last penalty kick was scored to midnight. It was a great celebration, definitely one I will never forget and will always be thankful that I got to be a part of. Forza Azzurri! -maria

june 2006

07/03/06

~This week I’m heading to San Francisco to visit my best friend (we grew up playing soccer together in Mass). We’re planning a run across the Golden Gate Bridge, mini-shopping escapades and a chill time on the beach. I’m really excited about this trip! Another one of my newly engaged friends, who lives in Boston, is meeting me there. It’s going to be such a fun girl’s weekend!! We’re even driving to Tahoe for the Fourth! If only Greg could join me for the fireworks…now that would be perfect! -candace


06/26/06

~I had found this recipe for caramel apple wedding cake (in Martha Stewart Weddings) that I really wanted to try, but before I gave the recipe to the caterer I wanted to taste it myself. Because Erica is the best girl in the whole world, she actually spent time this weekend baking me a sample wedding cake. (This is no small task…it involved a meringue and a custard and a buttercream and all kinds of other things like candy thermometers). She brought it in today and it’s divine. Possibly because she made it. All hail Erica, queen of baking and everything arts-related!! -alexis

06/19/06

~So Saturday I’m all excited because I finally have time to install my new Sirius satellite radio in my car (QVC TSV!) when all of a sudden I hear screaming and a horn blaring the whole way up my block. Without looking up, I already know its my brother and when I finally do look up, I’m not at all surprised to see that he’s tethered a 5 foot long Italian flag to his car. Ahh, you gotta love World Cup Soccer! Saturday’s game – Italy v USA – was awesome; I was a little torn at first because my heart is to cheer for Italy but I didn’t really want the US to lose. Well the game ended in a tie so I guess things worked out for me! -maria


06/14/06 Congrats Heather & John!

~Since I got engaged exactly 6 days ago, I've been in wedding overdrive! I've been to Barnes & Noble 4 times (for various wedding planners and magazines), I've visited at least 100 websites and have been on the phone non-stop with reception venues, my mom and my fiance (that sounds weird!) (though I'm trying to keep him out of it as much as possible!). But I feel good because I'm visiting 4 places this weekend and hope to get something booked right away! The next 10 months will be crazy!! Unless we do what John wants - elope -haha! -heather


06/13/06

~So a few weeks ago a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to form a team with her & her friend and submit applications for this game show she heard about. I submitted the application and my picture and totally forgot the whole thing. Lo and behold, they actually want us to audition this week!!! It’s called Chain Reaction and it’s actually a remake of an old game that was on NBC in 1980. My friends and I have been emailing each other practice puzzles…but keep your fingers crossed that I get on, because maybe I can actually make some wedding money back! (Plus how cool, a tartelette on Tv!) -alexis

06/07/06

~So, I must admit I have a peanut butter addiction. I was shopping at Gourmet Garage last week and I came across Peanut Butter & Co Cinnamon Raisin Swirl. OMG—this is seriously the best stuff ever! How ingenious—“a breakfast blend of peanut butter with swirls of aromatic cinnamon and raisins”! I’m truly addicted. And the best part—I just found out that there is a Peanut Butter & Co. store near my apartment! Next on my list: the Dark Chocolate Dreams….YUM! -candace



06/06/06

~Last week we got a delicious treat. One of the vendors I work with sent us a Godiva Cheesecake and a Cookies and Cream from the Cheesecake Factory! If there’s one thing the tarte girls love, it’s the Cheesecake Factory! Being the chocoholic that I am, the Godiva cheesecake is my favorite. Flourless chocolate cake and chocolate cheesecake, what could be better! -nicole

may 2006

05/30/06

~In three more days I will be in Lake George, camping for the first time…and I’m actually looking forward to it! I went all out and bought a big back pack, a tent, a sleeping bag, etc. Now I just need to get some camping clothes! I took this holiday weekend to go to The Westchester Mall and did some quality shopping – I mean really, what’s camping if you don’t have cute pink boots?! -maria



05/25/06

~So one thing I’ve kinda been pushing off is looking for shoes for my wedding. I think it’s mostly because I HATE bridal shoes—all that white satin and bows and chunky heels is so not me, and I know I’d never wear them again. So I think I’ve decided on gold shoes—that way I can always pair them with jeans or dresses after the fact. I like these Jimmy Choos a lot, but why does everything good have to be 4” high?? If anyone has suggestions for this never-ending quest, please advise!! -alexis


05/19/06

~My little brother Kenn (though he is 6 ‘2”) is graduating from Boston College on Monday! Woohoo—I’m a proud sis! But, shhhh—I’m not a very good one. The thing is I have yet to get him a gift!! On the contrary, it’s so hard buying gifts for guys that they’ll actually be excited to receive and/or use. That said I’m thinking I’ll get him clothes. Since he is starting a new job in July and will DEFINITELY need some dress clothes (I think he owns like 1 pair of dress pants and a hand me down suit). Hmm..I’ll have to hit up Brooks Brothers on Sunday!!! -candace

05/15/06

~Very excited for the Grey's Anatomy season finale tonight. Last night they prepped us for it with a new, action-packed episode that left me in suspense until tonight's show. It's 2 hours and I can't wait to see what happens! Will Burke die? Will Denny die? You know someone is going to die - so who is it, ahhhh!! At least they didn't make us wait a week. The only problem is that it conflicts with Deal or No Deal which is a 2 hour special tonight. Oh well, I'll bypass the game show this time... -heather


~I am so excited to get home tonight - season finale of Prison Break at 8! Seriously, it's frightening how obsessed I've become. I'm sure tonight's episode is going to be edge of your seat exciting (and I quite literally was on the edge of my seat last week so I'll probably end up passing out this week, lol). One thing I'm not looking forward to is the inevitable cliff hanger they are going to end the show with - I don't think I can wait 6 months to find out what happens! -maria


05/11/06

~May is the month of weddings (at least for me)! Two of my good friends from high school are getting married this month. Next weekend I’ll be traveling to Massachusetts for my friend Colleen’s wedding at The Georgetown Country Club and then Memorial Day Weekend I’ll be in Cape Cod to celebrate my friend Seth’s wedding! Um, yea, I’m already feeling teary-eyed!!! OK, I need to change the focus here—I’m on the hunt for dresses…. -candace


05/09/06

~Let’s ignore the fact that 9 times out of 10, my blogs are food-related—I promise I do not have a problem/obsession, I just happen to be a big foodie. However, despite my love of fancy cheeses and wines, I can go pretty low-brow too, which explains my current obsession with those Nabisco 100-Calorie packs. First of all, how smart was that idea?? The marketer in me just thinks it’s a totally genius concept. And of course, the prone-to-oversnacking girl in me is eternally grateful. Finally, a way for me to eat cheese balls and Oreos and know when to stop. If I lose any weight before the wedding, I owe a little something to the good people of Nabisco. -alexis

05/08/06

~We all had a festive weekend, Maureen's baby shower was on Saturday and it happened to be a Cinco de Mayo theme. So there was lots of yummy food and even more margaritas and coronas! -erica






05/01/06

~ Heather and I were just sitting here talking about Trader Joe’s and I really needed to take a moment to praise this fine establishment. My love for Trader Joe’s knows no bounds (I even got a gift certificate there for my birthday!). They have the BEST spreads, dips, sauces, snacks (cinnamon sugar pita crisps?? So good)…to say nothing of their frozen food section. And you’ll go up to the register with like 10 items and it’ll only cost $25. How can you beat that? (For any newcomers, I recommend the artichoke tortellini…once you’ve tried that, there’s no turning back). -alexis