Greenwich - March 2023

280 & 278 Otter Rock Drive

First time on the market in over 40 years. An extraordinary opportunity to renovate or build new, custom house in one-acre zone on 2.36 acres at a 30+ ft elevation overlooking Long Island Sound and the Belle Haven Club. There is currently a main house, guest cottage and oversized pool. Charming main house has detailed formal rooms, 3 fireplaces, high ceilings, terrace overlooking the lush grounds. Airy 2,942 sq ft guest house with open floor plan. With its stunning water views, this property offers a unique vantage point for a spectacular new residence in the exclusive Belle Haven Association.

features

SOMETHING’S BREWING

Jennie Ripps and Maria Littlefield are forging a path in the traditionally maledominated liquor industry and disrupting the canned cocktail market in all the right ways. Meet these inspiring women whose glasses are always half full.

by jamie marshall

MARCH 2023

14 EDITOR’S LETTER

16 NOTABLE NOTES

19 STATUS REPORT

BUZZ When a regular cake just won’t do, you turn to Nanette Koryn for one of her over-the-top creations. SHOP We checked out the spring runways, and here are the hot trends coming to a closet near you. GO Spend your days exploring the majesty of our national parks and your nights being pampered at these magnificent resorts. DO Managing menopause—what to expect and how to deal; innovative therapy for handling emotional trauma

38 G-MOM

Check out the latest in fitness and health technology—it’s way more than an Apple Watch; Greenwich Moms Network offers fun ways to welcome spring.

46 MONEY MATTERS

What investments in your home will pay off in the long run? We’ve got some answers.

49 PEOPLE & PLACES

greenwich magazine’s seventy-fifth anniversary party; De Beers at Betteridge; Greenwich Library; C. Parker Gallery; Americares; Make-A-Wish Foundation; CT Against Gun Violence

59 VOWS Park–Koch; Crabtree–Fox

87 CALENDAR

95 INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

96 POSTSCRIPT

The “joys” of lockdown

NATURAL BEAUTY

Local designers are creating outdoor spaces that are as gorgeous as they are eco-friendly— think meadows vs. lawns along with rain gardens, pollinator plants to attract our furry and winged friends and drought- and floodresistant plantings.

by tom connor

greenwichmag.com

on the cover: owl’s brew cofounders, jennie ripps and maria littlefield

photography by:

lacy kiernan carroll

Worldwide Awards & Recognition

Our reputation as a leader in luxury is unrivaled. Global industry experts at Luxury Lifestyle Awards have named William Raveis among the elite Top 100 Real Estate Brokers and Developers of the World for 2022. Everywhere, from Nice to Naples, Greenwich to Greece, people recognize our luxury brand and luxury personal service from agents who deliver best-in-class experiences.

Voted #1 Luxury Broker by Luxury Portfolio International®, our global reach connects us to the widest audience of high-net-worth buyers across the world. Our partnership with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® gives agents access to an international network of nearly 140,000 real estate professionals and over 550 luxury brokerages across 70 countries.

Please call for a confidential consultation. We’d love to talk with you.

Since 1909, Cummings & Lockwood has provided sophisticated legal representation to individuals, families, family offices, closely held businesses, other commercial enterprises and charitable entities. Our core services include:

 Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning

 Wealth Protection Planning

 Philanthropic Giving

 Probate and Estate Administration

 Fiduciary and Trustee Services

 International Estate and Tax Planning

 Business Succession Planning

 Corporate and Finance

 Litigation and Arbitration

 Commercial and Residential Real Estate

editorial editorial director

Cristin Marandino–cristin.marandino@moffly.com

social editor

Alison Nichols Gray–ali.gray@moffly.com

style & community editor

Janel Alexander–janel.alexander@moffly.com

founding editor

Donna Moffly–donna@moffly.com

contributing editors

Megan Gagnon–editor, athome

Elizabeth Hole–editor, custom publishing

Julee Kaplan–editor, new canaan • darien

Diane Sembrot–editor, fairfield living; westport; stamford

Veronica Schorr–assistant editor, athome

Amy Vischio–athome creative director-at-large

copy editors

Terry Christofferson, David Podgurski

senior writers

Timothy Dumas, Chris Hodenfield, Jane Kendall, Bill Slocum, Riann Smith

contributing writers

Liz Baron, Eileen Bartels, Michelle Calarco, Tom Connor, Carol Leonetti Dannhauser, Kim-Marie Galloway, Mary Kate Hogan, Layla Lisiewski, Jamie Marshall

editorial advisory board

Susan Bevan, Susan Moretti Bodson, Alyssa Keleshian Bonomo, Bobbi Eggers, Kim-Marie Evans, Muffy Fox, Lisa Lori, Jessica Mindich

art

senior art director

Venera Alexandrova–venera.alexandrova@moffly.com

production director

Tim Carr–tim.carr@moffly.com

assistant art director

Lisa Servidio–lisa.servidio@moffly.com

senior photographer Bob Capazzo

digital media

director of digital content strategy Diane Sembrot–diane.sembrot@moffly.com

digital marketing manager Rachel MacDonald–rachel.macdonald@moffly.com

digital assistant Lloyd Gabi–lloyd.gabi@moffly.com

Calendar@Moffly.com

Editor@GreenwichMag.com Weddings@GreenwichMag.com

TO SUBSCRIBE, renew or change your address, please email us at subscribe@greenwichmag.com, call 1-877-467-1735, or write to GREENWICH magazine, 111 Corporate Drive, Big Sandy, TX 75755. U.S. subscription rates: $29/1 year, $48/2 years, $65/3 years; Canada and Foreign, U.S. $69/year. Prices are subject to change without notice

FOR QUALITY CUSTOM REPRINTS/E-PRINTS, please call 203-571-1645 or email reprints@moffly.com.

All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without express permission of the publisher. ©2023

greenwichmag.com

STAMFORD | GREENWICH | WEST HARTFORD | NAPLES | BONITA SPRINGS | PALM BEACH GARDENS

EXTRAORDINARY STAFFING FOR DISCERNING CLIENTELE.

We source and screen candidates, qualify references, and conduct background checks. Confidentiality, privacy, and best possible placements, guaranteed.

publisher Andrew Amill andrew.amill@moffly.com

sales & marketing

Gina Fusco publisher, new canaan•darien & rowayton gina.fusco@moffly.com

Gabriella Mays publisher, westport•weston•wilton gabriella.mays@moffly.com

Karen Kelly-Micka publisher, stamford, ocean house karen.kelly@moffly.com

Jonathan Moffly publisher, fairfield living publisher-at-large, greenwich jonathan@moffly.com

Robin O’Hara associate publisher, athome robin.ohara@moffly.com

Hilary Hotchkiss account executive hilary.hotchkiss@moffly.com

Morgan Howell account executive morgan.howell@moffly.com

Kathleen Dyke partnership and big picture manager kathleen.godbold@moffly.com

Rachel Shorten events director rachel.shorten@moffly.com

Lemuel Bandala sales assistant lemuel.bandala@moffly.com

Eillenn Bandala business assistant eillenn.bandala@moffly.com

business president Jonathan W. Moffly

chief revenue officer Andrew Amill

editorial director

Cristin Marandino

director of content strategy

Diane Sembrot

business manager

Elena Moffly elena@moffly.com

cofounders

John W. Moffly IV & Donna C. Moffly

TEA FOR TWO

What’s better than following your passion and creating a hugely popular brand that’s disrupting a historically male-dominated market? Easy. Doing it with a great friend who shares your dedication, values and commitment to have a lot of fun along the way.

Jennie Ripps and Maria Littlefield didn’t start off with a plan to burst onto the boozy beverage scene. They started off as boss and intern. (Takeaway: Be nice to your interns. You never know what they may become.) Over time that relationship evolved in a most prolific way; and the rest, as they say, is history. A colorful history at that.

Writer Jamie Marshall sits down with the dynamic duo and shares how the entrepreneurs rose through industry ranks to create Owl’s Brew, a company that offers up a more natural alternative to those other canned cocktails that have become staples in our summer coolers (“Something’s Brewing,” page 62). We learn how this cottage industry started in a small kitchen and grew into one that graces the shelves of Whole Foods,

Trader Joe’s and Target, to name a few—all without compromising the brand’s homegrown integrity. Jennie still develops all the recipes in her own kitchen.

Beyond offering a “healthier” cocktail, the pair is committed to advocating for women on both local and national levels through their Wise Women Collective, which supports women-empowerment charities. And they don’t stop there. They also host a Boozy Book Club once a month on YouTube. How’s that for some motivation to get you over to Diane’s or Athena to grab your next read?

Finally, if all this is wetting your whistle, be sure to join us on Tuesday, March 28, at the J House for our annual Greenwich Restaurant Week Opening Night Party, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Kick off the week of great deals with local bars and restaurants ready to serve up their most popular drinks and dishes. Visit mofflylifestylemedia.com for tickets. And whooo knows (sorry), maybe you’ll spot our Owl’s Brew cover girls there.

Sports Camps & Summer Session

SUMMER 2023

Academic instruction and sports camps for students in Pre Kindergarten through Grade 12.

bwick.org/summer

notable NOTES

We will treasure the issue along with the other ones in which we’ve been featured for a long time. Here’s to many more years of success for Moffly Publications.

– MARY HIMES, GREENWICH

Editor’s Note: Jim Himes’s election to U.S. congress in 2009 made New England’s House delegation entirely Democratic for the first time in history.

TEEN TRIUMPH

I wanted to let you know how grateful I am for the greenwich magazine feature [“Teens to Watch” by Jamie Marshall] in the September issue. It was truly an honor to be included. Jamie, Editor Ali Gray and Art Director Venera did such an incredible job organizing this spread, and all the teens profiled were so impressive! My photographs turned out well, and the quotes/phrasing of Jamie’s article were great. Thank you so much for this opportunity. I’ll be a loyal reader of greenwich for years to come, and I can’t wait to see the teens that are profiled in the coming years.

– AUDREY LONG, GREENWICH

Editor’s Note: The young fashion entrepreneur’s resale online store —xoxoposhipgirl—now boasts gross sales in six figures.

REAL GEMS

75TH CELEBRATION

Congratulations on a terrific anniversary issue. Just a note to tell you how much I am enjoying reading the December issue. The countdown to seventy-five is very engaging, with great photos. It’s a great primer on Greenwich and the people and places that make it so special and distinctive.

I clearly still have a lot to learn!

– LAURA MCCORMICK, GREENWICH

Congratulations to all Mofflys and greenwich—the gold standard for excellence and vision.

Bernie Yudain is still the sharpest wit our town [has ever known].

– NATALIE PRAY, GREENWICH

Editor’s Note: Beloved journalist Bernie Yudain founded the Harpoon Club in 1957 for the sole purpose of preserving our town’s sense of humor.

What a marvelous story you tell of greenwich magazine. Reading the December issue was like a walk down memory lane with so many forgotten treasures. What a triumph of creativity, industry and just plain fun!

On to another seventy-five!

– ANN DUBOIS, GREENWICH

A big congratulations for seventyfive years of greenwich magazine. Donna and Jack had a vision and look where the company is today.

You should be beaming!

– HILARY HOTCHISS, NEW CANAAN

Thank you all for inviting us to join you for the seventy-fifth anniversary party and for including Jim in the special issue. I was so happy to be able to celebrate with you all.

What a magnificent job of journalism you have produced on behalf of Greenwich Emergency Medical Service. The extensive coverage [in People & Places] of the “Just for GEMS” benefit in the November issue of greenwich is superlative in every way.

In addition, the increased use of photographs this year, in commemoration of the event’s tenth anniversary, further educates the public on the activities of this most worthy cause.

Editor Ali Gray is the best! GEMS could never ask for a more skilled or dedicated professional to advance its extremely important mission. “Just for GEMS” is exceptionally successful in no small measure because she is on board, working with complete dedication and competence.

Thank you.

– ANN R. HAGMANN, GREENWICH

HEALTH HISTORY

What an amazing article about reproductive rights in Connecticut [November: “The Great Divide: Roe v. Wade” by Timothy Dumas]— indepth, well-researched and skillfully written. Thanks for including me. I hope your readers will not only learn the history but will further understand the importance of reproductive health care and rights in Connecticut and nationwide.

–

DANIELLE EASON, GREENWICH

Editor’s Note: Danielle is chair of Planned Parenthood Votes! CT.

Well done! I just finished reading your November/December [ Stamford ] magazine, and I wanted to congratulate you on a wonderful edition.

Somehow almost every article seemed to catch my attention. I especially enjoyed reading about the history of abortion rights in Connecticut along with so many other interesting articles.

– SUSAN CULLMAN, STAMFORD

Thank you for your excellent reporting. Timothy Dumas’ piece, “The Great Divide,” provided a thorough account of Connecticut’s unique role in the movement for reproductive rights. It also captured the incredible urgency of what is at stake in this post-Roe environment. We are grateful to greenwich magazine for highlighting the struggle to protect and expand access to abortion. Mr. Dumas’ article is sure to have sparked many thoughtful conversations among your readers, conversations essential to shifting the broader public dialogue around abortion. Abortion is health care and, like all health care, the ability to access it has a profound impact on peoples’ everyday lives and overall well-being. We are there for the patients and communities counting on us, no matter what. We will never stop fighting until all people are able to control their own bodies, lives and futures.

– AMANDA SKINNER, NEW HAVEN PRESIDENT & CEO, PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND

Greenwich magazine welcomes letters that are timely and relevant to material published in our magazine. All letters become the property of Greenwich magazine, which reserves the right to edit them. Please include your name, address and day and evening telephone numbers for verification. Mail: Letter to the Editor, Greenwich magazine, 205 Main Street, Westport, CT 06880; fax: 203-222-0937; or email editor@greenwichmagazine.com.

Welcome to

A sunny, cherished haven enjoyed by generations who have discovered the undeniable allure of life by the sea. With 1,650 pristine acres, miles of quiet sandy beaches and a thriving community, this is ocean to river living at its finest. These serene offerings each combine luxury with traditional appeal. Replete with gorgeous architectural details, tranquil spacious living areas and lush grounds - not to mention close to the water - each of these homes takes advantage of prime location with access to an incredible array of amenities. We invite you to indulge in a life of bliss in John’s Island.

by michelle calarco

Baking It Happen!

Entrepreneur Nanette Koryn creates over-the-top cakes that do way more than satisfy a sweet tooth—THEY TELL A STORY

above: “Spaghetti and meatballs” created with molding chocolate, grated white chocolate and Rocher chocolates • “Sushi” made of chocolate, Rice Krispies treats, caramel and chocolate ginger • “Fried chicken” made of Rice Krispies treats and graham crackers in a tub of butter cake and vanilla frosting below: A Celebrate You cake • A Congrats cake starring the family dog • “Pouring beer” made of spun sugar and a cake featuring Toblerone bars

Witty might not be the first word you think of to describe baked goods—that is, until you discover StupidGoodCake. Founder Nanette Koryn’s cake-making process, or recipe if you will, results in autobiographical yet edible tributes, much like a detailed and loving toast given at a party. After a series of interviews with the celebrant, family and friends, the Greenwich resident and mother of two sets to work on her unconventional creations. The result is as interesting as the celebrants—from a quirky wedding cake where a life-sized replica of the couple’s beloved dog replaced the traditional multitiered floral number to a charcuterie board featuring white chocolate “Brie” and sugar paper “cocktail napkins” to a dish of “spaghetti” created from modeling chocolate with “meatballs” made of Ferrero Rocher chocolate.

Given the amount of time involved, cakes range from $350 to $1,500.

“I ask a zillion questions,” says Koryn. “What makes them different? What do you often hear them saying? What makes you love them? Better yet, what annoys you about them? That’s when you discover the idiosyncratic gems that result in a unique and memorable cake.”

Koryn has always loved throwing parties and entertaining others through great food and drink; so when Covid hit, she had to find a new

way to keep the party going. That’s when the baker in her came out. Now, over 200 cakes later, she’s baked for several celebrities, including Good Morning America anchor Lara Spencer, former NBA star Isiah Thomas, actor Billy Crudup, actresses Naomi Watts, Emily Mortimer from HBO’s The Newsroom and others.

A self-taught baker, Koryn learned most of what she knows by trial and error, but a twentyplus year career as a creative director in the ad industry played a key role in her creative success. She says developing TV commercials isn’t all that different from StupidGoodCake’s creative process. “It comes down to observing, listening and out-of-the-box problem-solving to tell a story with a cake as the canvas.”

The last bite of the process consists of one final personal touch: Koryn and her husband handdeliver the completed cakes to the celebrant’s home. “Getting to see the smile on a client’s face when they first see this creation designed especially for them is the most rewarding part.”

“IT COMES DOWN TO observing, listening and out-of-the-box problemsolving TO TELL A STORY WITH A CAKE AS THE CANVAS.”

left: A “charcuterie board” displaying modeled chocolate antipasto (when the cake was on display, guests picked at it by accident) right: Every hobby and passion in one place

above: Nanette with one of her creations below: A sweet celebration of a book club’s 200th book anniversary—featuring everyone’s quirky roles in the group

by janel alexander

SPRING FASHION

WARM-WEATHER TRENDS YOU WILL WANT TO INVEST IN NOW!

It’s time to pack up your chunky sweaters and heavy boots and trade them in for clothing that speaks to more feminine textures and gentler forecasts.

CARGO GLAM DENIM 3D FLORAL HEAVY METAL

CARGO GLAM

THE MINI-BAG CRAZE HAS LED TO A FUNCTIONAL NEED FOR MORE POCKETS, AND DESIGNERS ARE BRINGING THEM IN FULL FORCE.

Pairs perfectly with a slim-cut top or bodysuit

1 ZARA Halterneck Bodysuit, $27.90, Greenwich and Norwalk; zara.com // 2 TOTÊME Long-sleeve Shirt Jacket, $580; farfetch.com //

3 ISABEL MARANT Votla Denim Jacket, $1,340; modaoperandi.com // 4 SACAI, Twill Belted Maxi Skirt, $825, Greenwich; saksfifthavenue.com

CYNTHIA ROWLEY

Pairs perfectly with belt bag, worn cross body to break up the horizontal and vertical lines

5 FRAME Relaxed Straight Cargo, $428, Greenwich; frame-store.com // 6 PROENZA SCHOULER Stanton Crinkled Leather Sling Bag, $425; proenzaschouler.com // 7 MARE MARE X ANTHROPOLOGIE Sleeveless Utility Top, $129, Greenwich, Westport; anthropologie.com // 8 RIVET UTILITY Worker—Pink Velvet jumpsuit, $375; maisonmarche.com

CYNTHIA ROWLEY

CHANDELIER EARRINGS

Add a little bling to a basic look with these shoulder grazing dazzlers

DAAAAAYS DENIM FOR

ON THE RUNWAYS THIS SEASON: BAGGIER DENIM REIGNS, ESPECIALLY WHEN PAIRED WITH MORE DENIM

Snow

DE BEERS

Greenwich; debeers.com

ALTUZARRA

greenwichmag.com

Madeline

JUSTINE CLENQUET

Shanon Asymmetric Crystal Fringe Earrings,

Greenwich; intermixonline.com

Dance Long Earrings in white gold, $49,400,

GAS BIJOUX Tresse Serti earrings silver, $165, Greenwich; gasbijoux.com

MIGNONNE GAVIGAN

Earrings in Periwinkle, $250; hampdenclothing.com

$108,

1 ALAïA Denim Button-Front Bodysuit, $1,520, Greenwich; saksfifthavenue.com // 2 ALAïA High-Waisted Slim-Fit Jeans, $1,180, Greenwich; saksfifthavenue.com

3 ALEXANDER McQUEEN Paneled Denim Peplum Jacket, $2,290; net-a-porter.com // 4 ALEXANDER McQUEEN Paneled Denim Midi Skirt, $1,390; net-a-porter.com

5 VERONICA BEARD Tika Denim Jacket, $498, Greenwich; veronicabeard.com // 6 VERONICA BEARD Haizley Extra Wide Leg, $298, Greenwich; veronicabeard.com

3D FLORALS

NOTHING SAYS SPRING LIKE FLOWERS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE ADORNING YOUR BODY, HEAD TO TOE. DESIGNERS ARE PUTTING A NEW SPIN ON THE TRADITIONAL FLORAL MOTIF, USING FABRIC TO CREATE THE BLOOMS

4

WHITE BUTTON DOWN

This staple multitasks as a beach cover-up, jacket or top for evening or even wear it backwards—to name just a few upgraded uses!

HELMET LANG Cotton-Poplin Back Detail shirt, $350; net-aporter.com

ZIMMERMANN Ivory High Tide Pearl Button Down Shirt, $795; shop. mitchellstores.com

greenwichmag.com

ZARA Crop Poplin Shirt, $39.90; zara.com

SHAN White Classic Blouse, $365; dariensport.com

1 DRIES VAN NOTEN Dob Fan-Embellished Jacquard Minidress, $1,995, Greenwich; saksfifthavenue.com

2 CYNTHIA ROWLEY Organza Flower Tie, $95, Greenwich; cynthiarowley.com // 3 ALAÏA Fleur PVC Mules, $1,780, Greenwich; saksfifthavenue.com // 4 ZIMMERMANN Coaster Ruffled Top, $1,600; zimmermann.com // 5 ALÉMAIS Macie Rosette Taffeta Mini Dress, $625; modaoperandi.com

CHRISTIAN SIRIANO

HEAVY METAL

SILVER AND GOLD , NORMAL DURING WINTER HOLIDAYS, WILL BE IN FULL EFFECT THIS SUMMER

WEDGE but make it skinny!

Wedge heels are seeing a comeback, but in sliver thin proportions.

JIMMY CHOO Brien 110mm Sandals, $850; farfetch.com

BOTTEGA VENETA Stretch 90 Leather Wedge Heel Sandals, $1,100, Greenwich; saksfifthavenue.com

KHAITE The Seneca Wedge Sandal, $920, Norwalk; nordstrom.com

1 ISABEL MARANT Coria Metallic Leather Cargo Shorts, $1,890, Greenwich; saksfifthavenue.com // 2 ALTUZARRA Kandoro Dress, $3,995; altuzarra.com

3 CYNTHIA ROWLEY Chrome Vegan Leather Dress, $425, Greenwich; cynthiarowley.com // 4 ZARA Minimal Flap Shoulder Bag, $39.90, Greenwich, Norwalk; zara.com 5 PACO RABANNE Heart-Paillette Mini Skirt, $2,250; modaoperandi.com

TORY BURCH

by kim-marie galloway

A Room With a View

IF YOU ’ RE LOOKING FOR THE MAJESTIC VISTAS OF NATIONAL PARKS BY DAY BUT TURN-DOWN SERVICE AT NIGHT, READ ON

Nourishing Your Community

How Feast & Fettle is Making a Difference in Greenwich

Locality

We talk a lot about locality and its importance to our brand. Getting to know each neighborhood before we launch is not only exciting but helps us to learn about the culture, lifestyle, and needs of the residents.

Here are some of the things we’ve learned about Greenwich:

1. The Greenwich vs. Darien sports rivalry is real (Go Cardinals!)

2. Pastel pants and boat shoes are a way of life

Our Commitment

Hi! We’re Feast & Fettle. A premium meal delivery service founded in 2016 at the intersection of nutritious food, community, and convenience for our members. When we launched we made a few commitments to our members:

• Your food would be locally-prepared and hand-delivered to your door

• Every dish would be made from scratch using the highest quality ingredients

• Sustainable packaging would be reused or responsibly upcycled

Not much has changed in the 7 years since we launched, and in 2022 we began servicing Greenwich, making the same promise to your local community.

All jokes aside... Greenwich residents are incredibly proud of their community and take care of their family, friends, neighbors. They are hard-working and have busy lives, with many residents making the hour-long commute to NYC every day. While we're still learning more about Greenwich every day, a few things are clear...

We're here to be a staple in Greenwich, providing a nutritious dinnertime solution to help you spend more time on what matters.

We're committed to helping your community thrive and support local nonprofits like Kids in Crisis, Greenwich Alliance for Education, and Breast Cancer Alliance.

If you've read this far, we sincerely appreciate your time. As a show of thanks, we'd like to give you your second week free. Just use code GREENWICHMAG at feastandfettle.com

CALIFORNIA

Yosemite

Why camp in Yosemite when you can sleep in a castle? If Yogi the Bear had a platinum card, he would stay at Chateau du Sureau. A stay at the Chateau feels more like an escape to a magical European forest than one in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. Winding staircases, turrets, stainedglass windows and a private chapel are all the elements needed for a castle. The perfect service of the staff completes the experience. Chef Chris Flint, the former Chef de Cuisine at Eleven Madison Park, tells us we’ll be hearing about new awards soon.

It’s easy to pop into nearby Yosemite, take in some sites like Half Dome or a dramatic waterfall and still be back for dinner. You can book a private tour with Crossroads Tours They can arrange everything from a private Jeep with a naturalist to a scenic air tour. For hikers, get your pass to hike the famed Half Dome well in advance. Permits for day hikers are distributed by lottery via recreation.gov. Rates start at $495 a night.

CALIFORNIA

Death Valley

Wondering if Death Valley is worth the trip? It is. It’s the largest International Dark Sky Park in the country. You can see the Milky Way (Spielberg filmed scenes from Star Wars here) and it’s always warm.

The Oasis at Death Valley comprises of two hotels, the luxury Inn at Death Valley and the familyfriendly Ranch at Death Valley. The original was built in 1927 before the area was declared a National Park, which makes it a true private oasis in the middle of a public desert. The Inn’s swimming pool is fed by natural underground springs and always a toasty eighty-six degrees. The golf course sits 214 feet below sea level. The sub-altitude causes the ball to fly differently and is a good excuse for missing the fairway.

If you’re tired of the fake-out of spring in New England, March weather in Death Valley averages eighty-two degrees with one day of rain. That’s one of the three days it will rain all year. Rates start at $399 a night.

An elegant guest room at Chateau du Sureau

(above) After a day of hiking Yosemite, get some R&R by the pool. (below) Take in an awe-inspiring view of the Milky Way in Death Valley. (bottom) The Oasis at Death Valley

Blue Ridge Mountains

Serious foodies are familiar with The Inn at Little Washington, the highly acclaimed restaurant in a tiny town at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Chef Patrick O’Connell, also known as the Pope of American Cuisine, opened the hotel and restaurant in 1978 in a town so small it didn’t need a stoplight. Nothing here is grand, but everything here is perfect.

The self-trained and self-inspired chef has achieved what some of the most pedigreed Parisian chefs could only dream of—three Michelin stars and the longest tenured Forbes Five Star and Five Diamond property and restaurant. Don’t worry about it being too fancy, though. That’s something O’Connell hates—taking things too seriously. He says the only dress code is no wet bathing suits. Dry bathing suits are just fine. Each of the twenty-three individually decorated rooms is named for chefs and others who’ve inspired O’Connell. (Suite 6 is designed to resemble the Ritz Paris, an inspiration we can all understand.)

The easiest way to enjoy Shenandoah National Park is a scenic car ride along Skyline Drive, which runs a little over 100 miles north and south along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. For those who want to actually get out of the car, one of the most spectacular hikes in Virginia starts just thirty minutes from town—the hike up to Old Rag Mountain. You’ll need an entrance pass for the park and a separate pass for the hike. Room rates start at $865 a night; dinner starts at $328 per person with an optional $228 for wine pairings.

The Great Smoky Mountains

Owners of the new property, Blackberry Mountain describe it as a private national park. The Mountain opened in 2019 and gives guests a chance to stay in modern treehouses or sleekly rustic cabins and enjoy twenty-five miles of private hiking and biking trails.

The beloved Blackberry Farm resort offers bucolic white rocking chairs and southern hospitality. Its James Beard Award-winning restaurant, The Barn, and the more informal Dogwood restaurant, were early leaders in the farm-totable movement.

The Farm and Mountain are seven miles apart at the foot of the Tennessee Smoky Mountains. Whichever property you choose, you can easily explore the national park, which straddles North Carolina and Tennessee. You might be surprised to

learn that out of all the national parks, the Great Smoky Mountains get the most visitors. It could be the chance to see black bears, the 850 miles of trails, or because it’s one of the few national parks you can enter for free.

Rates include breakfast, lunch and dinner, starting with dinner on the day of arrival and ending with

breakfast on the day of departure, along with all pantry snacks, non-alcoholic beverages, morning group wellness classes and guided morning group hikes.

Blackberry Farm room rates start at $1,045 with a three-night minimum; Blackberry Mountain rates start at $1,595.

TENNESSEE

A majestic view of the Great Smoky Mountains • The Barn at Blackberry Farm

Enjoy a cozy meal by the fire at The Barn, a James Beard Award-winning restaurant.

VIRGINIA

The Inn at Little Washington's restaurant has earned a highly coveted three Michelin stars.

Book Suite 6 and you’ll be transported to the Ritz Paris.

by liz barron

The word

Oh, we know. Menopause is the stage of life that many women do not look forward to. While it means an end to monthly periods, it also means that symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, hair loss could start happening. The good news is, there are ways to manage it all. We had a chat about the subject with Shieva Ghofrany, MD, a physician at Coastal OBGYN in Stamford and cofounder of tribecalledv.com, a site with the goal to increase knowledge and decrease anxiety about everything related to ob/gyn health.

What is perimenopause?

The best way to define perimenopause is to start with menopause—which is defined as the moment where you have had twelve months with no period. The average age is fifty-one or fifty-two. Up to ten-plus years before menopause, you can have fluctuations in your hormone levels that are defined as perimenopause as your ovulation and the quality of ovulation changes. Rather than your cycle before perimenopause, which is typically very cyclic and predictable, the period of perimenopause is hallmarked as predictably unpredictable. For example, your hormonal changes will be all over the place. That said, it’s important to realize that this is a normal part of our bodies’ changes and not pathological.

What happens in your body that triggers "the change"?

When we are born, we have about 1 million eggs in our ovaries, and then once we get to puberty, that number has decreased to 300,000 to 400,000. While during each “cycle” we only release a single

egg during ovulation, the process entails many of the eggs to essentially disintegrate. As we get to perimenopause, our hormones don’t necessarily continue with the nice predictability we discussed, meaning the quality of ovulation may be different and/or you will have cycles where you don’t ovulate at all because of the hormonal fluctuations. And once we reach the age at which our hormones have decreased so much that they cannot trigger the ovulation to occur at all for twelve straight months, we are considered having “gone through menopause.”

What are some common symptoms? Changes can include but are not limited to hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, weight changes especially often in the midsection, hair changes (more on your chin, less on your head), more ovulation pain and breast tenderness, period irregularities and less elastic skin. Perimenopause is very clearly what our bodies just go through naturally, though we do not just need to grin and bear it. Each person may

experience any or all of the symptoms, and the knowledge of this coupled with the ability to improve the symptoms is where the magic lies.

How long do symptoms last?

It’s good to know that after menopause, the vasomotor symptoms may continue up to five or seven years, but for most women they will eventually go away and can be managed with a variety of modalities—holistic and medical. On the other hand, the vaginal atrophy that causes pain with sex will progress more each year but can be dramatically improved with various lubricants, moisturizers and, most importantly, vaginal estrogen formulations.

Can I still get pregnant once I’ve entered perimenopause?

It’s important to note a few things, first being that even during perimenopause, while you may or may not ovulate in any given cycle, you still may get pregnant, so contraception is important if you do not want to have a baby. Second, it’s important to note that for each human, each week/ month/or year may offer different symptoms or no symptoms during perimenopause.

Third, I encourage everyone to know that once they’ve passed perimenopause and become “menopausal” as they’ve finished the year without a period, they will often feel better since the fluctuations of the hormones are often what triggers the most concern.

Can your doctor do any sort of tests to confirm you're perimenopausal?

What can lead to confusion is the thought that we can somehow test for and rule in or rule out perimenopause. Of course, if someone outside of the expected age range (less than thirty-eight to forty) and is missing their period or having significant hot flashes/sweats, then a specific panel of hormone tests is warranted to ensure they are not in need of specific treatment (i.e.: for thyroid issues, abnormal prolactin hormone levels which can signify a pituitary issue or premature ovarian insufficiency/premature menopause). In women who are merely exhibiting milder symptoms (though let me highlight that they may still feel lousy!) and are in their forties, “checking their hormones” (specifically FSH/ LH, estradiol/progesterone) is not of value and can actually confuse the picture. This is because the hallmark of perimenopause is that it is “predictably unpredictable,” and this means the hormones can fluctuate day-to-day, week-to-week and month-to-month—so any given blood test is only a snapshot in the moment and doesn’t change the management. We know there are many providers who encourage lengthier/more costly testing through blood/ saliva or urine, aimed at “evaluating the whole month/cycle” to gain knowledge—but again, once we understand that each month can and likely will fluctuate, we understand that this is not of value.

MENOPAUSE. THERE’S NO AVOIDING IT. DR. SHIEVA GHOFRANY CHATS ABOUT HOW WE CAN BEST MANAGE THE CHANGE

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EMDR Therapy

Patients can process trauma with a SPECIALIZED TECHNIQUE

WHAT IS EMDR?

EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a therapeutic intervention that allows clients to hone in on a traumatic event while concurrently experiencing bilateral stimulation. Memory recall, combined with this type of left- and right-body engagement has been correlated with a decrease in the intensity of emotions associated with trauma. EMDR has helped people recover from symptoms related to PTSD, trauma, anxiety, depression, OCD, chronic pain, addictions and numerous other disrupting symptoms.

Psychologist and educator, Francine Shapiro, pioneered the technique in 1987 after she found herself walking in a park and noticing that eye movements seemingly lessened the intensity of her emotions as they pertained to her own troubling memories. Thus, her extensive research began, and not long after, Shapiro was able to prove that bilateral stimulation and eye movements had the power to provide immense relief to those plagued with a variety of emotional struggles.

We spoke to psychotherapist Elissa Stein, the founder and director of The Riverwalk Group in Stamford, to learn more about EMDR and how it enhances her ability to treat clients.

WHAT WAS EMDR TRAINING LIKE, AND DID YOU HAVE ANY HESITATION AT FIRST?

I learned EMDR in 2009 as part of my trauma certification from ICP (Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy). To be completely honest, at first, I thought maybe I had lost my mind a little…this was so foreign compared to anything else I had ever done before. I was learning this odd technique that I really didn’t know anything about. After I began to understand more about the history and the efficacy of EMDR, I became very interested. It was a different modality than those I had used in the past, but I was open to trying it. EMDR has since become an invaluable tool for many of my clients. Part of the training is that you have to try it yourself. I not only did that but then also went on to do it privately and had a lot of my own interesting and successful experiences. I would never be able to practice EMDR as much as I do, if I didn’t completely believe in it. The evidence for its success is overwhelming, and, because of EMDR, so many people are getting help and feeling better.

WHAT METHODS DID YOU USE PRIOR TO LEARNING EMDR, AND HOW HAS IT CHANGED THE WAY YOU PRACTICE?

Prior to my EMDR training, I focused mostly on relational talk therapy after having done postgraduate work in marriage and family therapy at The Family Institute of Westchester. I found myself working with so many people dealing with trauma and decided I needed to learn more, so I began my education in the world of Integrative Trauma Therapy, which has definitely changed the way I work. I now have a very different lens and incorporate EMDR and other trauma modalities and techniques when working with individuals and couples. Each case is unique. Sometimes I combine techniques and modalities, and sometimes I do straight EMDR; it really depends on the circumstance. Trauma therapy is not one-stop shopping.

About Elissa Stein

When Elissa isn’t working with clients, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, practicing yoga, reading, writing and hiking with her dog Yoda. She collects heart-shaped rocks and believes in the healing power of a good belly laugh. The Riverwalk Group is located at 666 Glenbrook Road in Stamford. For more information, visit theriverwalkgroup.com

HOW DO YOU PREPARE A CLIENT FOR AN EMDR SESSION?

I always do an initial assessment to see if someone is a candidate. Not everyone is. Sometimes people need preparation before doing the deeper work of going inside, which is what EMDR is all about. If EMDR seems like it could be a good fit for the client and situation, I will explain a little bit about the history of the treatment and the specific protocol that is used. I might show them the actual EMDR machine and talk to them about why I’m suggesting this technique. Then we generally do some work to prepare to begin EMDR, which could take anywhere from one to three sessions. I’m also happy to answer any questions the client may have prior to starting the process.

WHY IS EMDR SO EFFECTIVE FOR TRAUMA RECOVERY?

My experience has been that the mechanism of using bilateral stimulation creates an opening for a different kind of work than that of talk therapy. It helps the brain integrate information on both the right and left sides of the brain. Once this information has been fully integrated, someone can generally process their trauma more thoroughly.

EMDR allows people to get to a deeper layer, do more meaningful work and make connections they may not have made otherwise. I think it’s an invaluable tool for some. It is more of an inside experience as opposed to an external experience, and clients are able to access a subconscious place within themselves. The desensitization part means that the memory is lessened, so if someone starts off at a rating of nine out of ten, the hope is that their number will keep coming down as they move through the process. The reprocessing step involves pulling up the memory and experiencing it again with the bilateral simulation. This step helps the brain to absorb and download the information in a different kind of way. In trauma, there is often a freeze response, because the brain can’t fully process what is happening. This can cause someone to sort of get stuck, even in a subconscious

way. Sometimes during an EMDR session people will remember certain details that they weren’t consciously aware of before. The other thing I find fascinating is that in addition to all that EMDR does, it often helps people make connections in ways that aren’t obviously relevant. It can help someone, at age fifty, to process something that happened at age ten and to realize why they do things the way they do.

CAN EMDR BE USED FOR ANY SITUATIONS THAT ARE CAUSING STRESS, EVEN IF THE SCENARIO MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY SEEM TEXTBOOK “TRAUMATIC?”

Yes, absolutely. EMDR can be used for phobias and anxiety; it’s definitely not just for PTSD. In the trauma community, we use the language that there are capital “T” traumas and lowercase “t” traumas. Some of us have capital “T” trauma, and all of us have lowercase “t” trauma. Whether someone went through something horrific like an assault or an accident or has memories of being horribly bullied, shamed by a teacher or being cut from a sport or a play—all of these things can feel overwhelming. The definition of trauma is “an overwhelming experience to the mind and body,” and while situations might vary in intensity, EMDR can help ease a wide chasm of struggles.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE WHO IS INTERESTED IN EMDR BUT APPREHENSIVE ABOUT SEEKING TREATMENT?

Over the past few years, my practice has received more calls inquiring about EMDR than ever before. I’d suggest speaking to a trained EMDR therapist to inquire about the process and gain a better understanding of the treatment. I’d also advise asking a lot of questions. EMDR is a different approach; and even though it’s become more common in recent years, people often have a lot that they are wondering about and are looking for a safe space to get information and answers. More details can also be found online at emdria.org.

The effects of a traumatic event are the trauma that happens inside you as the result of that event. It’s what happens because of what happened. EMDR helps us understand and helps that part inside that carries the trauma, to regain balance.

—ELISSA STEIN, PSYCHOTHERAPIST, FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF THE RIVERWALK GROUP IN STAMFORD

by eileen bartels

The More You Move

IF YOU WANT TO DRILL DOWN ON YOUR FITNESS, CONSIDER UPGRADING YOUR TECHNOLOGY

Excuses go by the wayside, thanks to all the technology available today. From scales to smartwatches to rings, you can track everything from body-water percentage to time spent in REM sleep. With devices that send information to an app, you can monitor your health journey and share it with trainers, nutritionists and medical professionals. Whether you’re keeping an eye on your heart, tracking your fertility or looking to lose those last five pounds, here are the tech tools to consider.

The Apple Watch is the gold standard for allowing you to do everything from make a phone call to activate an EKG. As Apple upgrades operating systems regularly, new features become available even for older devices. The newest Apple Watch is the Ultra, starting at $799. Made tech-tough with titanium, it’s water-resistant up to forty meters, has improved navigation for hikers, brighter nightmode and is easier to access while wearing gloves. Enhancements in the operating system include Heart Rate Zones, allowing users to quickly see their level of physical intensity. It also has skin temperature sensing, which can be an indicator of fever as well as a tool for women for menstrual cycle tracking and ovulation prediction. An improved battery life allows users to charge less and utilize the sleep tracking sensors—while you slumber, your watch can record time spent in stages of deep, core and REM sleep. The heart-rate sensor can check for irregular heartbeat and atrial fibrillation and send notifications of unusually high, low or irregular heart rhythms.

Not everyone needs or wants a watch they can scuba dive or take their temperature with. Dipping well below the price tag of the Ultra are several other Apple options with many of the same features.

The Apple Series 8 starts at $399, and the SE starts at $249. Keeping track of time and exercise can also be stylish with the vast array of bands, including a line from Hermes. Cellular is available on all three of the watches, or they can work in conjunction with an existing Apple cell phone or computer. apple.com

WATCH OUT!

Fitbit by Google is the OG of fitness trackers. And Google continues to expand its options of smaller devises, as well as Google Pixel smartwatches. The basic fitness trackers are thinner but packed with features and range from $59 to $150. The higher-end trackers offer sleep monitoring, providing a sleep quality score. Some Fitbits can sense oxygen saturation, breathing rate and heartrate variability and offer unique features like active zone minutes and a daily readiness score that uses the data it collects to tell users whether they are ready to work out or should prioritize recovery. The smartwatches range from $100 to $400. Many of the health features are comparable to the Apple Watch, such as water resistance, heart-rate tracking, temperature sensing and a built-in GPS. fitbit.com

The Garmin watch is a tech forerunner and compatible with the family of Garmin devices that many sports enthusiasts use. Garmin offers over a dozen models to match specific sport, health and fitness interests. The watches range from $79 to over a $1,000 for a model that combines firstclass style with all the Garmin features. Whether you’re a runner, hiker or golfer, there is a Garmin smartwatch for your passion as well as models just geared for general health and fitness. Several also feature specific options for women, such as menstrual tracking. garmin.com

The Oura is that ring you see on athletes and the other cool kids. It’s like a computer wrapped around your finger—tracking sleep, activity and recovery. It’s the industry’s leading sleep tracker as it’s much easier to wear during sleep than a watch. The readiness score uses twenty biometric signals to tell if today is a day to push yourself or take it easy, and it can tell you if you may be getting sick. The ring comes in two styles and five colors and ranges from $299 to $599. ouraring.com

SMART SCALES

Ava Fertility Bracelet is the first FDA-cleared fertility tracker. The company states it’s clinically proven to identify a woman’s five-day fertility window. The bracelet uses technology offered on many other wearables to analyze body temperature patterns and fluctuations that may indicate ovulation. For those looking to track fertility, it’s a noninvasive wearable tool that’s also eligible for Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts on many insurance plans. The bracelet starts at $279. A $309 option guarantees pregnancy within a year or a refund. avawomen.com

BEYOND THE WATCH

WHOOP is a family of wearable tech that was first known for its smart wristband but has expanded to a number of WHOOP wearables. The technology provides real-time feedback, analyzing physical data like resting heart rate and other vitals to give users things like daily recovery scores and feedback on how specific training and lifestyle choices impact their health. Like most smartwatches, the band can sense blood oxygen levels and skin temperature. Beyond the WHOOP wristband, the company now offers WHOOP Body, a line of workout wear including sports bras, swim trunks and leggings, all with built-in pods to hold the WHOOP sensor. This line is great for those who want to track their physical fitness but don’t want to wear a smartwatch, band or ring. The hardware is free, but app membership is $20 to $30 a month. whoop.com

Watching your weight just got a whole lot easier with scales that use electromagnetic systems to analyze so much more than just your weight, specifically breaking down details like bone density and body water percentage. These scales give users insights into their overall health by looking at body composition and patterns over time. Working through Bluetooth to link to your phone or computer, they collect and analyze data to give users more than how many pounds they weigh and help guide decisions about hydration, nutrition and exercise.

The Fitbit Aria Air is an affordable smart scale but still packed with information. It allows for multiple users to create profiles and track their weight and patterns.

$49, fitbit.com

FitTrack provides very specific breakdowns of fat mass, muscle mass, bone mass and hydration. As with most other smart scales, it allows users to adjust settings for specific body types such as athletic mode. $159, getfittrack.com

Garmin’s Index S2 measures weight, body mass index, body fat percentage, muscle mass, bone mass, and body water percentage and allows up to sixteen users. Users can share stats with other users to inspire and challenge each other. $149, garmin.com

NEED TO CHILL OUT?

Embr Waves is a heating and cooling bracelet that warms or cools your wrist via sixteen temperature intensities. The Embr Wave may be particularly effective for women struggling with hormonal hot flashes or those with skin conditions that flare up in the heat. By heating or cooling a spot on the wrist, your entire body temperature can change. $299, embrlabs.com

MY TECH LOVE STORY

Ihave a long history with wearable tech. I rocked a Fitbit long ago, when it was a thing that just clipped onto my leggings. Next came the Apple Watch, which overwhelmed me. Even though rudimentary by today’s standards, I found the constant vibrating notifications, calendar reminders, email updates and texts too much. It made me anxious. In less than a year it found its way to my teenage daughter’s wrist. Then came the smart scale. I found tracking weight by looking at body composition fun. Now gaining a pound was a good thing when it was muscle weight.

About a year ago, the Apple Watch crept back into my life. I learned about closing rings and setting challenges beyond daily steps. The clincher was when I realized I could customize what I wanted on my wrist—I could remain blissfully unaware of how many emails, texts and phone calls I was receiving on my phone. As someone who spends a fair amount of time on my computer, being reminded to stand every hour or take a few minutes to just breathe is a good thing. My watch is also a great cheerleader. Some days I feel Iike I’ve run a marathon doing errands. Now I can see that those errands pay off in more ways than one. One surprise is the way it connects my daughter and me. Away at college for the first time last year, Lily showed me how she and her friends shared notifications about exercise. Now Lily and I are fitness friends, and I get bings that she has completed Pilates, a run, soul cycle or several walks to and from class. No, it’s not the same squeeze in my hand like when she was little, but a tap on my wrist reminds me that she’s there, living her life and staying active.

JUST BREATHE

Lumen is a hand-held device that uses breath to measure carbon dioxide output to determine when your body is most effectively burning fat. This is the same technology used by athletes, trainers and healthcare professionals for metabolic testing. Breathing into Lumen several times a day shows you how sleep, physical activity and nutrition affect your metabolism. The device is purchased in conjunction with the app and starts at $249 for six months of tracking and goes up to $699 for personalized support. There is also a thirty-day free trial. lumen.com

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SPRING IN YOUR STEP!

FUN WAYS TO COME OUT OF OUR WINTER HIBERNATION

by layla lisiewski

No. 2 AN EGGSTRAVAGANZA

Bust out the bunny ears and register today for Greenwich Moms Easter Eggstravaganza. Enjoy Easter fun on Good Friday, April 7, at the Greenwich Historical Society. The day includes a visit from the Easter Bunny, egg hunt, DJ, bubble show, Chicken Joe’s Food Truck and activities galore! Sign up at greenwichmoms.com.

No. 1 TAKE IT OUTSIDE

Thanks to the Friends of Greenwich Point, on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., vehicles are restricted from the loop around the beach, allowing visitors to stroll freely. Cos Cob Park also offers a short but lovely walking path that’s never crowded. And nearby Mianus Park provides an escape into the woods (just have patience with the parking). If you’re up for a drive, Ward Pound Ridge in Westchester County features great hiking (pro tip: check out Leatherman’s Loop and catch some of the best views from an overlook of the Cross River Reservoir). I also love to take my little one to the waterfall in Glenville. He could spend hours throwing rocks in the water.

No. 4

HOW SWEET IT IS

Enjoy the sweet taste of spring on Saturday, March 4, at Greenwich Land Trust’s Maple Sugar Day. Join GLT staff as they demonstrate how to tap a maple tree, and watch as the sap simmers and thickens to syrup. There will be demonstrations throughout Mueller Preserve, samples to taste, food trucks and more. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required. Individual tickets $10; fourpack $20 (members) and $30 (non-members). gltrust.org

No. 3

THE LUCK OF THE IRISH

We love a good snack board. And one that’s cute enough for a party and gets kids to eat more veggies is like finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. This month is National Nutrition Month and to help us celebrate, Maegan Brown, creator of the family-friendly recipe website BakerMama.com, suggests this leprechaun snack board. It’s a fun St. Patrick’s Day addition and can easily be modified. “If you don’t want to use hummus, use a ranch dressing or veggie dip. If you can’t find carrot chips, use baby carrots sticks, carrot rounds or sliced orange bell peppers,” she suggests. thebakermama.com

No. 5

CELEBRATE YOU

What makes you feel like the best version of yourself when you walk out the door? In celebration of International Women’s Day on Wednesday, March 8, take a moment to reflect on how to be the best you.

Here are three strategies to help you get started

1.

Write down three words you want people to use to describe you. For example, three words I love for myself are articulate, helpful and loyal. The next step is to align how you act with your goal words.

2.

Introduce yourself like a boss. It’s a scenario that’s played out countless times: you meet someone new, and he or she asks “What do you do?” Make your answer anything but basic. This is the time to elevate yourself. Create a single, phenomenal sentence to describe yourself.

3.

Put an end to negative self-talk. If I am constantly saying I’m a hot mess, I give others permission to think the same of me. Motherhood is, in fact, messy, but there’s no need to label yourself in a derogatory way. Give yourself grace and acknowledge that you’re doing your best. G

Every month Layla Lisiewski, Greenwich mom of four and founder of Greenwich Moms and its parent company, The Local Moms Network, shares some of her favorite things to do—from seasonal activities to can’t-miss events. Follow @greenwich_moms on Instagram, sign up for the newsletter and check out the calendar at greenwichmoms.com.

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BY CAROL LEONETTI DANNHAUSER

INVESTING IN YOUR HOME

a real estate agent with Houlihan Lawrence in Greenwich. “Sellers who did that when Covid came along and there was limited inventory, those houses were primed and ready.”

house,” Mosher says. “You walk in and you don’t have to do any work—insta-house, insta-life.”

You remember what happened to real estate during Covid in 2020. You blinked and—boom!—the house down the road sold for more than you imagined possible. Then you blinked again, and— boom!—another house, then another...

Was your house in for-sale shape?

“I am constantly telling people, don’t wait until you want to sell to do an improvement on your house. Do it as soon as you are able. It’s all about keeping your home current,” says Ellen Mosher,

Mosher is the top-selling residential real estate agent in Connecticut, according to industry tracker RealTrends, so her advice is borne of experience. It’s also what she does in her own home. “I practice what I preach,” says Mosher, who has lived in Old Greenwich for almost thirty years. “Every year I do one or two projects to my house. The key is to stay on top of everything.”

While they can be costly, investments you make in your house today can pay you back down the road. “Buyers across Fairfield County are paying a premium for used homes that have been updated, upgraded and redesigned. Even if you have a 100-year-old house that you’ve completely freshened and updated, they’re selling at a premium. Buyers want the instant

A DEEPER LOOK

Unless you’re planning on staying in your house for the next twenty years, you don’t need a full tear-down and build back to make your house appealing. What, then, makes for a smart upgrade? Assess your house as a potential buyer would to determine what needs attention. Start at the curb, beginning with, yes, the mailbox. Hopefully that “is interesting,” Mosher says. From there, how is your walkway looking? “Great shape,” should be the answer. Next, do you see tidy, low-maintenance landscaping that affords privacy? A recent paint job on the millwork? Good garage doors? Energy-efficient windows? If any of these seem wanting, you know where to start. Before a buyer even enters a house, these first impressions set the tone for what happens next.

Once inside, head to the kitchen and bathrooms. Stainless steel appliances, cabinetry that is

“classic with a nod to modern,” and decor in “neutral tones with pops of color” might be all that you need. And don’t forget to look down. Says Mosher, “A lot of people are updating the floors with wide planks. That’s very in right now.”

Upgrades should be in line with the other homes in your neighborhood. Luxury buyers might expect a home theater, wine cellar and full outdoor kitchen, with bonus points for a generator and electric car chargers. But those costs could be hard to recoup in a neighborhood with a lower price point, Mosher says. No matter. A tidy firepit and outdoor grill area will show buyers that they can enjoy the yard. In the basement, sheet-rocked walls and a finished floor nearly always pays for itself. Should this be a workout space? A gaming room? An office? You don’t need to dictate that, so long as it’s wired and heated. Says Mosher, “People can envision how to use it. You don’t need to do this for them.”

Ellen Mosher

Before you spend time and money making changes to what potential buyers will see, find out what’s lurking out of view. Cracks in your foundation, electrical issues, hidden mold, drainage problems, invisible radon and more can sink a sale (and compromise your health) without warning. To be on the safe side, hire a certified home inspector—even if you’re not selling—to assess your home’s health. That way, you’ll have plenty of time to fix small problems before they get worse.

MEET FLOWCODE, THE NEXT GENERATION OF QR CODES

Go ahead, try it out. Point your phone’s camera at the Flowcode to scan.

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Cheers to Us!

The room was abuzz for greenwich magazine’s seventy-fifth anniversary party at Townhouse in— where else? Greenwich. Friends, family, advertisers and lifelong supporters joined us to celebrate our special milestone. The evening would not have been possible without our sponsors, JPM Private Bank, Shreve, Crump & Low, Houlihan Lawrence, Nichols MD of Greenwich, Tischler Windows, Ripe Bar Juice, Michter’s Bourbon and Albany Vodka. Thank you to our readers for joining us on our nearly eight-decade journey. We look forward to continuing to bring you important, heartfelt and informative stories in our pages. greenwichmag.com »

1 Bea Crumbine, Chuck and Deborah Royce 2 Rob Pizzella, Matt Semino, Anthony Trimarchi 3 Andrea Bonhomme, Jessica Bergquist, Adelina Pacarizi, Jessica Leon, Emily Russo 4 Martina Cordero, Fahmida Fyed 5 Melissa Hawks, Riann Smith, April Larken, Wendy Stapleton 6 Donna Moffly, Cristin Marandino 7 Cara Gabriella, Karen Clark 8 Andy Amill, Pete Van Leuween

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MOFFLY MEDIA’S BIG PICTURE, BOB CAPAZZO

GREENWICH MAGAZINE / Townhouse Greenwich

1 Withley Verdiner, Isis Rae 2 Marianna Sarkissova, Jonathan and Elena Moffly

3 First Selectman Fred Camillo

4 Courtney Fischer, Sabrina Forsythe

5 Michelle Calarco, Josh Greenwald, Venera Alexandrova 6 Scott Hobbs, Rich Granoff, Ian Hobbs 7 Eloise Thomas, Dana Cifone, Ginger Stickel 8 Bob Arnold, Maurice Ng

9 Paige Montinaro, Alex Williams 10 Sarah Bamford, Annette Perry, Joseph Lockridge, Tina Pray, Tess and Rohan Virmani

11 Susan Kriskey, Brandon Hole, Marni Lane, Elizabeth Hole 12 Lynn Carbino, Amy Hirsch, Gabriella Mays

GREENWICH MAGAZINE / Townhouse Greenwich greenwichmag.com

13 Dana and Greg Rogers 14 Kevin O’Connelo, Frank Gaudio, Evan Corsello

15 Tim Dumas, Jane Kendall 16 Daniella Diubaldi, Paulo Lanfredi 17 Stephanie Dunn Ashley, Stephanie Cowie, Bob Capazzo, Janine Kennedy 18 Shahryar Oveissi, Mike Geller 19 Rose Nichols, Andrew Yu

20 Jullian Hamilton, Romona Norton

21 Ripe Bar Juice 22 Sue and Mike Bodson

23 Jim and Ginge Cabrera, Dana Cifone

24 Olivia Walker Lemieux, Adrian Clark, Sarah Crabtree 25 Cricket and Jim Lockhart, Graci Djuranovic 26 L. Scott Frantz, Rachel and Chris Franco »

Shine Bright Like a Diamond

Just in time for the busy holiday selling season, De Beers Jewelers opened a pop-up retail boutique on Greenwich Avenue in partnership with Betteridge. For the occasion, De Beers and Betteridge hosted a cocktail celebration where guests included Céline Assimon, CEO of De Beers Jewelers, and actress and lifestyle expert, Eva Amurri. Popular DJ Pamela Tick entertained the crowd with eclectic tunes. Guests were gifted a personalized, monogrammed De Beers jewelry pouch created by Brooke Shepard, founder of Monogram Mary. Because all good things must come to an end, the uberchic showroom closed its doors at the end of January. But we have a feeling they’ll be back. debeersgroup.com

1 The storefront on Greenwich Avenue 2 Leigh Hanson, Lauren Weintraub, Mary Garth, Brooke Shepard, Eva Amurri, Alston Calabrese, Mackenzie Horan, Jess Zackham 3 DJ Pamela Tick 4 Lorcan McCabe, Celine Assimon, Charles Stanley 5 Eva Amurri in De Beers looking flawless 6 The lovely showroom 7 Avril Graham 8 Ana Doblins, Elias Marte, Katrina Vrakas, Jessica Vega 9 Nicole Eisman, Lauren Kaminsky Goldman

Culture Club

Greenwich Library recently celebrated the opening night of a season of extraordinary preforming arts programs in the Berkley Theater. The evening began with a performance by the world-famous Martha Graham Dance Company, followed by a cocktail reception in the Reading Room. Funds from this event will support a yearlong array of extraordinary cultural and educational experiences. All programs are free and accessible to the public. greenwichlibrary.org »

1 Matt Todd, Caroline, Sharon and Barney Phillips, Drew Purcell

2 Hilary Martin Lea, Peggy Edersheim Kalb 3 Dianna and Scott Seaton, Mary Ellen Markowitz

4 Valentina Poghosyan, Wesley Royce, Patrick Conlisk 5 Karen and Dennis Keegen 6 Graci Lockhart Djuranovic, Jim and Cricket Lockhart 7 Stephanie and Josh Teitelbaum, Chintan Panchal, Renata Panchal, Jim Lindstrom

8 Laurie Heiss, Tom Heagney

9 Event cochairs Sharon Phillips and Sophia Tawil 10 Mary Ellen LeBien, Anne O’Donnel, Susanna Trudeau, Carol Nicolson

GREENWICH LIBRARY / Berkley Theater

Where Hollywood Meets History

Art enthusiasts, collectors and friends recently gathered at the C. Parker Gallery on Greenwich Avenue to meet esteemed Palm Beach/New York artist Bonnie Lautenberg. Her show, Artistica!, showcases photographs that pair scenes from famous films along with pieces of art from the same year, creating a cultural time capsule. Lautenberg wears many hats and is also co-producing a new Broadway musical about the life of Andy Warhol. In 2022, Lautenberg was appointed by the White House to the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts. cparkergallery.com & bonnielautenberg.com

1 Steve Leber, Stuart Weitzman, Bonnie Lautenberg, Ken Schur 2 Gallery owner Tiffany Benincasa 3 Gina Manzino, Joli Gross, Carolyn Westerberg

4 Jennifer Frascella, Charlean Kratt 5 Marc La Magna, Elizabeth Hutchins, Kristine Gigliotti, Peter DaPuzzo 6 Bonnie Lautenberg, Michael Paniccia 7 Amy France, Bonnie Lautneberg, Meadow France 8 Greg Gigliotti, Jamie Benincasa 9 Gina Manzino, Emily Dreas, Chris and Joanie Carter 10 A piece highlighting 1967

BY

C. PARKER GALLERY / Greenwich Avenue

Angels in America

The thirty-fifth annual Americares Airlift Benefit, highlighting Americares’ response to the war in Ukraine and its hurricane recovery work in Puerto Rico, raised nearly $1.8 million for the organization’s health programs worldwide. Award-winning anchor of TODAY and 3rd Hour of TODAY Craig Melvin served as master of ceremonies. Percival Barretto-Ko, Roberta and James Conroy, Erica Hill, David Yount, Marti Noxon and Joy and Dr. Eric Weintz cochaired the successful event attended by nearly 400 people at the Citi Aviation Hangar at Westchester County Airport. Americares is a health-focused relief and development organization that saves lives and improves health for people affected by poverty or disaster with health programs, medicine and medical supplies. Since it was established more than forty years ago, Americares has provided over $20 billion in aid to 164 countries, including the United States. americares.org »

AMERICARES / Westchester County Airport

1 A neon butterfly takes to the dance floor 2 John and Laura Popa, Setul Shah, Monica and Scott Steele, Shari and Jason Sirignano 3 Lynn Leonard, CJ Campbell, Kim Keller 4 John Sanna and Patty Hannigan, Beppie and Bob Cerf 5 Walter and Deirdre Weil 6 Eric and Joy Weintz, Craig Melvin, Erica Hill, David Yount 7 Karen and Josh Gottlieb 8 John and Elena D’Andrea, Toby and Jonathan Baer 9 Dr. Brenda Rivera-García, Susan Grossman, Craig Melvin, Christine Squires, Adam Keehn 10 Lydia Fenet

Dream Catchers

Make-a-Wish Connecticut recently held its annual Wish Night dinner, dance and auction at Greenwich Country Club. Craig Melvin and Lindsay Czarniak served as emcees for the evening. Yes Network anchor Bob Lorenz lead the live auction along with former Yankees players John Flaherty and David Cone. George and Carol Barrios were honored with the 2022 Wish Spirit Award and, for the first time, guests witnessed two wishes granted live onstage. Asher’s wish was a camper to be able to travel safely with his family, and the camper was parked outside Greenwich Country Club. PJ’s wish was to be a cowboy on a dude ranch. He and his family left the following morning. There was not a dry eye in the house. ct.wish.org

MAKE-A-WISH CONNECTICUT / Greenwich Country Club

1 Bob Lorenz, Kristen and John Flaherty 2 Adam and Amanda Fisher, Adam and Rachel Doneger 3 Emily Wolowitz and Victoria Filippelli, event co-chairs 4 The Lenschow family 5 Connecticut Wish Ambassadors 6 Jen Caplan, Alex DeBourcy, Jenny Lyden 7 Matt and Rebecca Bisland, Lindsay Czarniak, Craig Melvin 8 Pam Keough, Make-A-Wish 9 Danielle and Joseph McKee, Alyssa Harvey Dawson, Christopher Dawson 10 Emma and Nikhil Ashra 11 Bizzie Welch, Ann Ahl

Enough Is Enough F

or nearly thirty years, CT Against Gun Violence has led the way in passing some of the strongest gun laws in the nation, giving Connecticut one of the lowest gun death rates. Still, much needs to be done to address the crisis of gun violence, especially community gun violence and firearm suicide. Supporters recently gathered at the annual benefit on the rooftop at The Village in Stamford. Guests learned about the gun violence prevention movement and how CAGV is working to reduce gun deaths and injuries in Connecticut. To help support the mission to end gun violence in Connecticut visit cagv.org. G

1 Hannah Smolar, Michael Waldman 2 Executive Director CAGV Jeremy Stein, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Governor Ned Lamont 3 Nicole Heath, Cynthia Blumenthal, David Atkins, Carolyn Vermont, Kim Buck, Glori Norwitt 4 Event cochairs Cassaundra Karnal, Asya Geller, Daisy Sanders, Erin Glasebrook, Lauren Schweibold, Margo Cole 5 Dr. George and Melanie Tsangaroulis 6 Adam and Rebecca Epstein 7 Jonathan Perloe, Wilner Joseph 8 Mark Rutledge, Christine Han-Rutledge, Remy Dowd, Ali and Matt Knopman 9 Sean Reaves, Terra Volpe 10 Adam and Sarah Mariucci, Emmy Bealle 11 Chris Church, Lisa Beth Savitz, Janet Stone McGuigan, Julie Church 12 Stuart and Liz Yingst

CT AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE / The Village in Stamford

by alison nichols gray

Dr. Bina Park and and Dr. Michael Koch will be forever grateful to their friends Roberta and Roberto Chiappelloni (owners of Manfredi Jewels), who set the pair up on a blind date at l’escale. Roberta and Roberto made the introduction and then left the newly acquainted pair with a bottle of rosé Champagne. With similar childhood experiences, values and careers, these two were made for each other.

Five months later, Michael proposed in Bruce Park during a beautiful picnic. Just like their courtship, the wedding planning happened in a flash. Bina’s dress was made by local designer Katie Fong in six weeks, a jazz band was assembled through musician friends, Greens of Greenwich handled the flowers and the couple’s favorite restaurant, Le Fat Poodle, was available on the date they wanted.

Reverend Andre Castillo officiated the ceremony at First Presbyterian Church of Greenwich, and the reception followed at Le Fat Poodle. Personal touches helped to make it a special event. Michael, who grew up in Scotland, wore a traditional kilt. The bride’s mother wore a traditional Korean silk dress called a hanbok, and Bina’s daughter, Tea, sang her version of Stand By Me with the jazz ensemble.

The bride, daughter of Harold Kuplesky and Sok Nam Park, graduated from Notre Dame High School, Texas Christian University, Baylor College of Dentistry and the University of Michigan. Bina is an Orthodontist at Dr. Bina Park Orthodontics in Greenwich. »

MOON BINA PARK & ROBERT MICHAEL KOCH

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARILYN ROOS

1 Bina and Michael 2 Laurie Costantino, Corina Oades, Rebecca McKeown, Tea Licon, Bina Park, Michael Koch, Aidan Neary, Andrew Lee, Grahame Lee, Tavo Licon 3 Amelia Neary (front), Clodagh McKeown, Evie McKeown 4 Bina with her mother, Sok Nam Park 5 HQ and Tabitha Nguyen 6 The happy newlyweds with Roberta and Roberto Chiappelloni 7 The bride with Marlene Cohn and Laurie Costantino 8 (standing) Lisa Lin, Augustine Fou (seated) Lydia and Mitch Lee, Eleni Michailidis, Abraham Chahine, Jen Fountain, Jamie Long

Morgan and Jack had their first kiss at Greenwich High School, yet that’s not where this love story begins. The two friends took different paths to new schools. It was their mutual love for skiing that would ultimately unite them. While on a group ski trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the pair really bonded. As soon as Morgan realized Jack could keep up with her on the mountain, she was impressed. They spent their days skiing and hiking, and their nights enjoying the “après ski” life. Neither wanted the trip to end. Luckily for these lovebirds, a higher power stepped in and a snowstorm hit the night before their flight home, allowing them a few extra days of together-time—and skiing. Jackson quickly became the new couple’s happy place, and they traveled there annually during their courtship.

Many black diamond trails and few years later, Jack proposed to Morgan at her family’s lake house on Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire. As if the night could not be more special, they then boated over to a local restaurant, where both of their families and Morgan’s best friend, Mary Cecio, were there to celebrate the fantastic news.

Reverend Anne Marie Delgado officiated the ceremony at Antelope Trails Ranch in Wyoming, where the reception followed.

The bride, daughter of Robert and Carolyn Crabtree of Greenwich and Vermont, graduated from Burr & Burton Academy, American University and Quinnipiac University School of Law. Morgan is an attorney for Gilbride, Tusa, Last & Spellane in Greenwich.

The groom, son of Andy and Stacy “Muffy” Fox of Riverside, graduated from Berkshire School and Elon University. Jack is a sales manager for Colonial Motors in Milford.

The newlyweds honeymooned in the Galápagos Islands and Machu Picchu before returning home to Old Greenwich. G

MORGAN ELIZABETH CRABTREE & JOHN COBURN FOX

1 The newlyweds 2 The wedding party 3 Morgan taking in the view 4 The bride with her mother, Carolyn Crabtree 5 Emily Crabtree, Halsey Huth, Sarah Crabtree 6 Andy, Morgan, Jack and Muffy Fox 7 Wyoming looking wonderful 8 Morgan with her bridesmaids

9 Walter Peek, Kelly Markey, Suzie Peek, TJ Markey 10 Bobby Crabtree, Morgan, Jack, Carolyn Crabtree 11 Sandra Birkhold, Patty Read, Denise Eagan, Carolyn Crabtree, Stephanie Dunn Ashley, Jill Kelly, Ruthanne Ruzika, Jackie Hvolbeck, Sally Waskewich 12 Sealed with a kiss 13 The reception tent dripping with flowers 14 Tribute to Bill King, Jack’s grandfather, who was once the Commodore of Riverside Yacht Club 15 Claire Holmberg, Timmy Wyle, Nicole Birkhold, Keara Duffy 16 Dance floor vibes 17 Jack dances with his mother, Muffy 18 Morgan with her father 19 Fox plates, the perfect touch 20 Tribute to Raymond P. Lorenzoni, Morgan’s grandfather, an avid skier 21 Dessert

Jennie Ripps and Maria Littlefield

by jamie marshall

carroll

Something’s

photography by lacy kiernan

JENNIE RIPPS and MARIA LITTLEFIELD , cofounders of Owl’s Brew, are giving a whole new meaning to tea time

greenwichmag.com

The success of Owl’s Brew may be a bit of a surprise to Jennie, who says being an entrepreneur was never something she thought about growing up.

JENNIE RIPPS

“I remember putting tea leaves into hot water and watching as they transformed into the perfect balance of flavor and function. It was alchemy,” she says. “It was magic.” It was also a turning point. “I was searching for a way to help my dad, and in the process I discovered my life’s passion.”

Jennie’s dad passed away two years later. She still remembers how much he enjoyed beverages and making different flavor combinations—a side of his personality she inherited. That, along with her passion for tea, has led her down a road she never imagined. From book publishing to marketing to tea sommelier, she turned her love of crafting and brewing organic teas into not one, but two successful businesses. “The more I worked with ingredients like hibiscus, rose petals, green tea and lemon verbena, the more I realized I was creating something good for my body and delicious at the same time.”

For Jennie and her business partner, Maria Littlefield, that awareness has been the driving force behind every tea-based beverage they have brought to market in the past twelve years, including their latest concoction—a line of canned cocktails, which lands in stores this month.»

remembers the day her life changed course. The Greenwich native was working at her first job in Manhattan when her father was diagnosed with cancer. “When my dad got sick, I really wanted him to be well,” she says. “I spent a lot of time researching anything that might boost his immunity. Back then there was a lot of research on white and green teas being high in antioxidants and about polyphenols playing a role in cancer prevention.” She started brewing different blends for him.

greenwichmag.com

An internship with Jennie at a marketing firm would set Maria on a career path of an entirely different sort.

First came Brew Lab Tea in 2011, which created custom blends for restaurants, coffee shops and hotels throughout New York. In 2014, they introduced Owl’s Brew nonalcoholic cocktail mixers. That was followed by Owl’s Brew Radler, a tea-and-beer based beverage in 2016. (It was retired two years later, a victim of the no-carb trend that prevailed at the time.) “That was when seltzer was becoming really popular, and we spent a lot of time listening to our consumers that year and decided to launch something with all the qualities they were asking for,” says Jennie. The result? Owl’s Brew Boozy Tea, a line of tea-based sparkling drinks with clean ingredients and a 4.8% alcoholic kick, introduced in January 2020. As Jennie says, “We always had this idea if we were drinking

or celebrating, we wanted every single good ingredient we could have and then spike it. We thought people wanted to drink that way, too.”

Their timing was perfect. In the age of clean eating, Boozy Tea hit the mark. “In the canned beverage category, hard tea is the fastest growing in its set [which includes hard seltzer and hard kombucha]. While it’s not a supersaturated category in terms of brands, the biggest players are high in sugar, flavorings, additives and calories. There is a huge opportunity for better-for-you teas made the right way,” says Jennie. For Jennie and Maria, the right way is the Boozy Tea way or, as they like to say, “Real ingredients, for real.” Even the packaging is cheerful and speaks to wellness— hibiscus pink, lemon yellow and sky-blue cans with inviting graphics and, most important, a transparent list of ingredients. Boozy Tea rode the pandemic wave to the tune of more than two million cans sold in 2021.

Even as the founders were focusing their energies on Boozy Tea, coming up with new flavors and expanding distribution to eighteen states and a slew of retail outlets including Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Target as well as local vendors Stew Leonard’s, Bevmax, Palmer’s Market and Leary’s Liquor Cabinet, they were formulating plans for their next big idea—ready-to-drink cocktails. Like its cousin, Boozy Tea cocktails are made of fresh-brewed tea, botanicals and a splash of real fruit juice. The biggest difference? With 1.5 ounces of liquor, they pack a bigger alcoholic kick. “Boozy Tea is more for the daytime occasions, and the Cocktails are for the more cocktail occasions,” explains Jennie.

Flavors include Green Tea & Passionfruit and Black Tea & Pomegranate. Also in the mix is a Skinny Hibiscus Margarita made with Tromba Tequila, a 100-percent blue agave tequila. The founders collaborated with Emmy-award-winning producer and TV host Jeannie Mai—an investor in the Boozy Tea brand—to develop the clean and “extremely delish” cocktail. The brand is slated to arrive in liquor stores, and depending on state laws, some grocery chains, at the end of the March.

LAYING THE GROUNDWORK

Jennie didn’t set out to be an entrepreneur. “Growing up in Greenwich, that word wasn’t even in my vocabulary,” she says. “But I always knew I wanted to build something.”

Jennie’s mother, best-selling author Susan Shapiro Barash, says she wasn’t surprised when her daughter decided to go into the organic tea business. “Jennie was always very inventive and an extremely smart student,” she recalls. “And she always loved tea. When she was little, she loved red zinger and would mix it with things. When her father became ill, the idea of tea being an alternative route that could help him was incredibly meaningful. That compelled her in a different way.”

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (where she now mentors young women as part of the school’s Professional Women’s Association), Jennie moved to New York in 2004 and worked in publishing until 2008, when she joined a boutique marketing firm called Talent Resources. The job entailed eighty-hour work weeks and a lot of travel, and in 2009 Jennie was tasked with finding an intern. She hired the first person she interviewed, Maria Littlefield. »

The pair began HOSTING TEA COCKTAIL PARTIES for their colleagues. THE GATHERINGS WERE SUCH A SUCCESS , people started asking them to serve their mixers at bigger events.

Maria had just graduated from Skidmore with a degree in psychology (“useful for building a business,” she says) and was in New York looking for her first job. The two hit it off immediately. Maria joined full-time after a few months, and for the next few years they worked together on a variety of lifestyle accounts, developing sponsorship and brand opportunities at high profile events—think Sundance, New York Fashion Week, Super Bowl and Art Basel, among others. “This was before Instagram, and we would work with brands to create events where they could interact with celebrities to garner press and awareness for their products,” Maria recalls.

Jennie continued to pursue her passion for tea, and Maria would often spend time with her in the company kitchen while she experimented with various blends. “She was obsessed,” says Maria. “One time I was really sick, and she made a tea for me,” she recalls. “It was named the Littlefield Blend.”

That was when Jennie noticed a disconnect in the menus of many of the city’s restaurants. “They were spending millions of dollars on every aspect of their concept—from chef to the food, menus, fonts, décor and build-out. But as thoughtful as they were about those things, in most cases the tea menus were just green, chamomile, black and peppermint. I thought, what if the tea program spoke to the restaurant concept, too?”

She convinced a family friend, Michael Stillman—president of Quality branded restaurant group—to let her design a customized tea menu for the Hurricane Club (later Park Avenue Café). “They were our first client, and it just took off from there,” she says, noting that eventually her client list included the likes of Momofuku, Clocktower Pastis, Soho House and Sweetgreens. “It got to the point where I walked down a certain block and realized I was blending tea for every restaurant on the block.” Brew Lab Tea was born.

Jennie also became a certified tea sommelier. “I wanted to learn about how tea is grown, how it’s processed, the different styles and types. It’s kind of like being a wine sommelier. Same idea. I also wanted to make sure I knew enough to break the rules.”

“Jennie’s passion is blending, flavor and function,” says Maria. “She looks at it in a different way than the ceremony of tea making, but rather what you can do with these incredible botanicals.”

Like developing a line of cocktail mixers, for instance. “We loved the combinations we could create, and we both love a good cocktail,” Jennie says. “I was doing a lot of unconventional blending anyway because of the restaurants. The idea of spiking it and having a powerhouse of benefits made a lot of sense to me.”

The pair began hosting tea cocktail parties for their colleagues. The gatherings were such a success, people started asking them to serve their mixers at bigger events. That was the genesis for the second company Owl’s Brew and its first product, Owl’s Brew Mixers.

Maria recalls the time they were brewing for 1,000 people at a Fashion’s Night Out event at Henri Bendel. “They promised us we’d have access to water,” she says. “And then when we got there, they only had automatic sinks.” They spent the next few hours standing in front of faucets, repeatedly pushing them on in order to get enough water to brew buckets of tea. “But we made it work,” adds Maria.

Then there was the time they got stopped by the TSA on their way to the Super Bowl. “We were shipping tea and lemon verbena, and it did look a little sketchy,” Jennie says.

And the time they had to wing it at a party during Art Basel in Miami. “When we got there the staff was too stressed to find us anywhere to work. We had an hour before we needed to get the tea to the bar, so we brewed in the shower. We had all these buckets of tea, and the event venue was on the other side of the hotel. And the only luggage trolley available had three legs. So, we covered all the buckets in plastic and off we went,” Jennie says.

Eventually, first Jennie and then Maria quit their jobs at the agency to focus on their growing business. When they sold Brew Lab Tea to the Republic of Tea in 2018, the company was selling more than five million cups of tea a year. This gave them the capital they needed to begin developing another idea they’d had steeping on the back burner—Boozy Tea. It encompassed a sharp learning curve.

“The hard seltzer/beer segment of the alcohol industry is 96 percent male-dominated,” says Maria. “From CEOs to brewmasters to salespeople, most of the decisions are made by men.” When it came time to embark on a Series A fundraising round, they discovered that only 2 percent of venture capital money goes to female-founded companies. For two ambitious, smart capable women, that was a profound disappointment.

“We were like, wait, what’s happening?” Jennie recalls. They persevered. When a potential investor pointed them in the direction of flavor houses, they said no. They would use fresh ingredients only. When another suggested they develop recipes in big commercial kitchens as was the industry standard, they said no. Jennie would continue to develop recipes in her home kitchen. »

When it came time to embark on a Series A fundraising round, they discovered that only 2 PERCENT OF VENTURE CAPITAL MONEY GOES TO FEMALE-FOUNDED COMPANIES.

Grab an Owl’s Brew Tea and join Jennie and Maria’s Boozy Book Club, hosted once a month on YouTube.

Women Giving Back

Since the beginning Jennie and Maria have made it a point to give back to their community—both on a local and national level. In 2021 they organized the Wise Women Collective. “The goal is to promote conversation and celebration among women,” says Jennie. That includes everything from showcasing other female founders to highlighting Women’s History Month to partnering with charities like Women’s Voices for the Earth, a feminist-led environmental advocacy group, and Keep A Breast Awareness, an organization that promotes early detection and prevention. This spring, they will turn their ParTEA pack green in support of WVE, and in the fall it will be pink in support of KBA. Consumers can scan the box, and the company will donate $1 for every social share.

Given Jennie’s background in publishing, it’s no surprise they launched a Boozy Book Club, too. Once a month Jennie and Maria chat about the books and host author interviews on YouTube. “I think we’re the only alcohol brand with a book club,” says Jennie with a laugh.

Their determination paid off. In 2021 they raised nine million dollars, some of which came from Connecticut Innovations, the state’s venture capital arm that invests in start-ups in Connecticut, and Tidal River Investors, a women’s investor network in Connecticut, which often invests in female- and minority-founded startups

“We are very excited about our investment in Jennie and Maria,” says Alison Malloy, a managing director at Connecticut Innovations and cofounder along with Anne Lamont of Tidal River. “We are excited that Jennie and Maria are building their company in Connecticut. We like the brand they’re creating, the growth they’re looking to achieve, and the distribution channels they’ve secured to date.”

About the product, she added, “When you try other products in the category, there is a real taste difference, and it continues to resonate in the marketplace.”

SURVIVING INTO THRIVING

Two months after Boozy Tea launched in January 2020, the world came to a standstill.

“Covid was obviously an extremely crazy time. We had barely rolled out, and it sent us all home. This industry is very traditional feet-on-thestreet, and everything we had planned went out the window,” says Maria. “We pivoted quickly and started working with a couple of amazing retailers, which enabled us to get to market at that time.”

Despite all the aggravation and uncertainty, there was a silver lining. “People started thinking about ‘better for you’ things. It was a stressful time for everyone, and people wanted to drink; and because it was a clean product, a lot of consumers picked us up and shared about it on their Zooms.”

As with any start-up, the founders wear many hats. They spend nearly half their time on the road, talking to potential clients, striking partnership deals and hosting events. And they are constantly working on social media concepts. The pandemic also provided the impetus for Jennie and her husband, Max, a literary agent in New York, to move back to her hometown with their two small children.

“It’s funny. I always had positive memories about Greenwich, but I thought we were staying in the city,” she says. At the same time, they moved their company headquarters to the Village in Stamford, though they still maintain an office in New York. The Owl’s Brew team has grown from one employee hired in 2015 (“a Jill of all trades,” says Maria) to a full-time staff of sixteen (mostly salespeople). Jennie and Maria, who lives in New York City, work from home several days a week.

As much as things have changed since 2011, the heart of the business has stayed the same. “I still develop every recipe in my kitchen,” says Jennie. “It’s my favorite thing to do.”

As for the future? That’s simple. “From the beginning we’ve always believed in our motto to drink wise,” she adds. “I really believe that if people drink an alcoholic beverage, they should still get all those healthy benefits. We plan to keep growing on that premise.”

This spring, ECO-SENSITIVE LANDSCAPING MEETS LUXURIOUS OUTDOOR LIVING .

More homeowners are opting for wild meadows over manicured lawns and gardens for the birds and bees as much as for the aesthetic.

Glengate’s principal designer and landscape architect, Cheryl Russ, combined “extraordinary beauty and sustainability” for this natural property.

there’s anything new in landscaping and gardening this spring, it’s us. From a confluence of unlikely factors— climate change, the Covid pandemic, an influx of New Yorkers seeking open space—we’ve come to view property as a sanctuary from the stresses of living in “interesting times.” We’re more appreciative of nature, more tuned in to the creatures with whom we share the earth, more aware of the human impact on the environment but also of our role, however small, in its welfare.

“For many of my clients, their yard is so much more important to them than it ever was before,” notes Heather O’Neill of Second Nature Landscape Design in Norwalk. “A lot of them weren’t coming home until after dark and barely saw their property except on weekends. Now, with a majority of people working either remotely or a hybrid of remote and in the office, they’re home a lot more and are taking a real interest in the animal life that comes onto their property and the changing colors of plants as the seasons change.”

Landscape architects and designers from Greenwich to Fairfield report an uptick in homeowners asking for meadows in place of lawns; pollinator pathways to attract birds, bees and small animals; rain gardens and drought- and flood-resistant plantings.

And yet this is Fairfield County, where living well is an art as well as an antidote to modern life. The same landscape architects are designing complete outdoor kitchens with grills, pizza ovens and smokers; outdoor fireplaces and firepits in handsome stone surrounds; infinity pools that cool the body as they soothe the spirit; and garden rooms for observing nature and for peace of mind.

That we can have it all is one of the great benefits of living where we do!

ne benefit of the Covid pandemic has been that it’s inspired more residents to take up vegetable gardening, a trend that began in earnest during the recession of 2008 and 2009.

Besides an interest in growing their own produce, people simply enjoy being outdoors and closer to nature.

“So many people were at home and not going away in the summer,” says John Carlson of Homefront Farmers in Redding. “That really continued the trend of outdoor living.”

For first-time home gardeners, Carlson walks the property with homeowners to identify locations with optimum sunlight.

“You really want six to eight hours to be able to grow the full range of crops,” he says. “There are plenty of vegetables that don’t require as much sun, but the most popular ones—tomatoes, peppers, squash— need the maximum amount.”

Also important is proximity to a source of water (though many of Carlson’s clients have

in-ground irrigation systems), plus a relatively level location. “It’s easier and less expensive if there's a level spot,” he says. “We’ve built on pretty steep slopes, which require stepping and terracing, but the effect can be beautiful and really dramatic.” Homefront Farmers’ gardens are raised and fully enclosed in white cedar, which is rot-resistant, and they also have wire netting. The effect is a clean, handsome, structure space, with pebbled walkways among the raised beds for easy access, weeding and harvesting.

This spring, homeowners are hiring professional gardeners like Carlson for gardens that produce serenity as well as produce, with space inside for a small table and a couple of chairs for sitting and relaxing at the end of the day.

Homefront Farmers constructs organic vegetable gardens of all sizes in the optimal spot on clients’ properties.

For this project by James Doyle Design Associates, changes in topography were embraced. The ground plane was manipulated to create form and interest, and the earth was cut to create areas for bioretention as well as manage runoff from the driveway.

property that are planted with wild grasses and flowering perennials to soak up rain runoff from roofs and downspouts, driveways, patios and the natural slope of the land. Rain gardens filter significant amounts of pollutants and sediments from rainwater runoff, while allowing some 30 percent more water to soak into the ground than a lawn.

“Basically, we contour the land near the source of the most rain runoff in the shape of a bowl or a long, serpentine depression, remove a foot or so of the soil that’s there and replace it with a mixture of sand and compost for better percolations,” says Eva Chiamulera, a landscape architect with Austin Ganim Landscape Design in Fairfield.

For new owners of a neglected three-acre lot in the Greenfield Hill section of Fairfield, Chiamulera created two large rain gardens bordered by meadows, which are frequent neighbors. She connected the two with a strip of riverbed-like stones and crammed them with pollinator plants that change colors with the seasons and attract successions of birds and insects.

he prolonged heat wave and drought of last August and September were followed by torrential downpours and flashflooding, causing damage to gardens as well as to homes and businesses. As large bodies of water, like Long Island Sound, continue to warm, Connecticut meteorologists warn that we’re likely to see more weather extremes this spring and summer.

For properties prone to flooding, local landscape architects are creating rain gardens—long, narrow, depressed sections of the

“Beebalm and Eupatorium are in their glory from mid-summer into early autumn and are probably our biggest pollinator attractors,” she says. “Insects and birds perceive color differently than we do. Bees prefer mellower bluish-pink and purple-whites and some of the lighter yellows. Butterflies and hummingbirds like the reds and the oranges and brighter pinks and purples—they would’ve been really comfortable in the 1980s!”

To manage rainwater runoff and pollutants from the driveway of a Greenwich property, meanwhile, James Doyle Design Associates carved a 40’-by-20’ rain garden out of the land between the drive and the street. This “bioretention swale,” as it’s called, also captures pollutants from the runoff and filters them and excess water through a bed of sand and gravel that underlies plants—river birch, for example, and winterberry viburnum—that don’t mind getting their feet wet.

A rain garden, like this one by Austin Ganim Landscape Design, is often bordered by meadows. This method helps filter pollutants and sediment from rainwater, and more water can soak into the ground.

TOP PHOTO BY AUSTIN GANIM LANDSCAPE DESIGN, LLC; BOTTOM PHOTO BY ALLEGRA ANDERSON

mong the most popular plantings this season, landscape designers say, are pollinators—flowers, grasses and shrubs that lure bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to pollinate other plants, thereby producing seeds and fruit for us to share with the most important guests: other insects, birds and small mammals.

“I'm getting a lot of calls for a mix of grasses and native pollinator plants that look great but also attract insects and birds and small mammals,” says Jay Petrow of Petrow Gardens Landscape Design in Westport. Especially beneficial are goldenrod, echinacea and milkweed, among others, which attract monarch butterflies on their migration route north for the summer.

The interest in pollinator plants and pathways—corridors of native, pesticide-free plants—has led to a greater interest in beekeeping in Fairfield County.

“Pollinator pathways are a wonderful way to attract and help

sustain honeybees,” says Rick Glover, a Fairfield beekeeper who manages 65 beehives, lectures widely on bees and beekeeping, and sets up and maintains hives for homeowners in lower Fairfield and Westchester counties.

“The more flowers you plant that open throughout the year,” Glover adds, “the more nutrition and health you’re bringing to honeybees.”

For Cheryl Russ, principal designer and landscape architect at Glengate in Wilton, it is rewarding to work on environmentally friendly projects.

“Every year, we have more and more clients requesting nativeplant landscaping, pollinator gardens and meadows—and we are also thrilled to introduce Glengate clients to these concepts,” says Russ. “It’ a win-win when we can create something that is beneficial to our local ecologies and results in a luxurious setting for family life. The idea that eco-sensitive landscaping is too wild or messy is totally outdated;

it’s 100% possible to have both extraordinary beauty and sustainability.”

Russ offers some important guidelines to follow when going the natural route:

“Work with designers who are well-versed in selecting the perfect plants for your conditions and wildlife; the company planting your gardens should also be experienced in these types of landscapes—make sure installers are sourcing material that has not been grown with substances harmful to pollinators (such as neonicotinoids). ‘Eco’ does not mean set it and forget it. Whoever does your property care should know, for example, how and when to mow a meadow, and which kind of plant treatments and fertilizers are safe to use. The right professionals will help you create an incredibly rewarding landscape.”

In some instances, local laws require eco-friendly measures to be implemented.

“Given the environmental

sensitivity of many sites and the regulations in place by the local governing authority, buffer zones, rain gardens and the like are frequently mandatory," says Renée Byers, principal of Renée Byers in Greenwich.

Byers, who has seen an increase in clients wanting a more natural landscape, considers multiple factors when designing a project.

“Striking the right balance between beautiful, high-quality design and natural beauty is achieved by collecting all the data, from the owner’s program to environmental macro to microclimatic factors, and then taking cues from the surrounding architecture and natural landscape beyond,” she says. “It is important to examine the transition points and proportionality between the built landscape and the more wild parts, and to create harmony so the two truly speak to each other. In this way, each appears inevitable and effortlessly linked.”

James Doyle Design Associates describes this environment of flora and fauna: Sustainability gives a connection with the natural world, and this safe habitat supports an extreme abundance of local insects, pollinators and wildlife.

Using

native pollinator plants and a mix of grasses, Jay Petrow of Petrow Gardens Landscape Design, creates a meadow that is attractive, yet still appeals to butterflies, birds and small animals.

JAY PETROW

he growing interest in beekeeping coincides, in turn, with a movement away from turf lawns and toward wild, open meadows.

Lawns are a relatively recent landscaping phenomenon. It wasn’t until after the Civil War that wealthy property owners began planting their yards in grass as a status symbol, mimicking European bowling and putting greens.

But while a carpet of Kentucky Bluegrass may be pleasing to the eye and feel good on bare feet, lawns can be detrimental to practically everything else— birds, insects, mammals, the environment at large. Keeping

After coming across this unspoiled property in Little Compton, Rhode Island, Heather O Neill of Second Nature Landscape Design used it for inspiration on a local project.

them green and weed-free demands excessive amounts of water and fertilizer that is toxic to water supplies and to the birds, fish and mammals that consume or come in contact with them. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, turf grass lawns, which cover up to 50 million acres in this country, consume nearly three trillion gallons of water a year and 70 million pounds of pesticides.

One influence on the meadow movement has been New Yorkers who moved to Fairfield County during the pandemic. In addition to boosting the residential real estate market, they brought with them an appreciation of meadows from their exposure to the High

Line, the former elevated freight rail line on Manhattan’s West Side that has been turned into a 1.45-mile-long public park and walkway through some 150,000 wild and cultivated plants, trees and shrubs.

But so have neighbors who, understanding the impact of lawns on the environment, have been replacing sections of it with open meadows. Where once they might have asked for neat, orderly spaces that relied on manicured lawns and boxwood edges, more now prefer wild grasses and perennials that change with the light and with the wind. Enhanced as a result is “the aesthetic value in people's eyes,” says Jay Petrow.

“Homeowners call for the ecological benefits of meadows and pollinators, but if they weren ’ t aesthetically pleasing, they wouldn ’ t want them.”

Adjacent to a swimming pool on a three-acre lot in Stamford, Petrow installed a small area of pollinator plants, then seeded the area with a wildflower mix to create a meadow border that’s pleasing to the eye as well as to the birds and the bees.

There’s more to meadows than meets the eye, though, and much more to maintaining them once they’re planted.

“It's not just a matter of letting your grass grow or not mowing it,” says Heather O’Neill. “Meadows need to be mowed twice a year

so that you don’t get big woody plants growing and turning into trees. People think, ‘Hey, I don’t need to mow my grass—I'll get a meadow.’ But what they end up with is something that looks like an empty lot someone hasn't taken care of in a while.”

For new owners of an old home on four acres in Southport, O’Neill is creating a substantial meadow with plugs of plants as well as seed in and surrounding an existing apple orchard. “The couple wants a natural-looking space that won’t require fertilizer or as much mowing as a lawn. They, like others, want to do their part to help the environment without committing their whole property to nature.”

This meadow rendering by Heather O’Neill is for a four-acre landscape in Southport that surrounds an existing apple orchard.

omething else transplanted New Yorkers sought in the suburbs during the height of the pandemic were swimming pools, not exactly standard features in Manhattan apartments and condos.

This spring, as in the recent past, local companies are installing pools with more thought to their place in the overall landscape.

For an eco-friendly project with rain gardens, landscape architect Renée Byers designed a pool and spa to complement a scenic riverfront view.

“At this special site along a tidal river, we kept the pool and spa orthogonal with the house and created linear sightlines from key points inside and outside the house to the pool area," says Byers. “We massaged the edges of the planting areas, made of flowing grasses, perennials, trees and shrubs, so that they weave in and out, and are repeated throughout the garden.”

In addition to a “buffer zone between the river and swimming pool, the mown lawn was reduced to allow for generous rain gardens," adds Byers. "These

filter stormwater and are an extravaganza for pollinators.” Other factors to consider are how clients plan to use the outdoor space and what kind of pool works with their lifestyle.

“Over the past two to three years we’ve seen a focus on creating multidimensional outdoor environments,” says Dan Koller, chief operations officer at Shoreline Pools in Stamford. “We’re now finding people who think about a pool holistically and how they would use it on a day-to-day basis. Is it for swimming laps or more for socializing?”

Accordingly, the design will configure steps and spa to one side for end-to-end swimming and have expanded steps or benches along one side for sitting and talking.

The company is also continuing to see a preference for clean lines and sleek, contemporary design. And there’s ongoing interest in automated heating and lighting systems that can be operated from digital devices, vanishing or infinite edges, LED lighting for nighttime swimming, and filtration upgrades for improved water quality.

When designing a swimming pool and outdoor environments, Shoreline Pools builds something specific for clients based on how they plan to use it on a daily basis.

AWARDS FOR THIS DESIGN INCLUDE:

Connecticut American Society of Landscape Architects, Merit Award for Residential Design

New York American Society of Landscape Architects, Merit Award for Residential Design athome FC, Winner, Landscape Design for Over One Acre

Designed by landscape architect Renée Byers, the swimming pool and separate spa are enveloped in pollinator-friendly plantings, including both natives and ornamentals. Large native Black Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica) trees were planted to provide shade and enclosure to the garden.

Christina

helped her client achieve a casually elegant style, described as “a perfect mix of Nantucket meets Monaco.”

Interior designer

Roughan

he efforts we’ve made to create ecologically sensitive yards hasn’t taken away from the desire to luxuriate in the great outdoors. Here again, the pandemic only increased the opportunity to do so at home.

“Backyards were where people wanted to be around family and friends,” says Tony Aitoro of Aitoro Appliances in Norwalk. “They weren't going out to restaurants as much, and they realized if they had some cool equipment they could cook just as well as the chefs.”

Where the company used to sell stand-alone grills, homeowners now want grilling islands that include pizza ovens and smokers, Green Egg

ceramic grills and outdoor kitchens equipped with sinks, garbage disposals, refrigerators and storage cabinets. At the highest end are hand-made, stainless-steel, hybrid gas and wood-burning Kalamazoo grills made for coastal areas like Fairfield County’s Gold Coast. They are the centerpieces of grilling islands that can exceed 12 feet in length and cost as much as a quarter of a million dollars.

The surprise is that not a lot of property is needed to create a home resort for living outdoors all summer and into the late fall. For a half-acre lot in Greenwich, for example, James Doyle designed a long, narrow entertaining area with outdoor kitchen, fire pit, pool and outdoor

furnishings—all on one level.

When it comes to outdoor kitchens, experts use a discerning eye to achieve the right aesthetic.

According to Renée Byers, “Poorly placed grills and outdoor kitchens mar many promising suburban landscapes.” To avoid this issue, Byers recommends creating spaces that complement the home's architectural style and maintain key views.

“We try to marry the kitchen's geometry with the house and terraces, and use materials consistent with those in the rest of the landscape,” says Byers. “By their nature, outdoor kitchens are contemporary elements, but by pulling together the right material palette, they can become a timeless element that works even with older homes.”

To maximize outdoor entertaining options, interior designer Christina Roughan helped a family of five create a pool and poolhouse ideal for casual gatherings for friends and family of all ages.

“Our clients wanted an outdoor oasis where their children could bring friends, and the adults would enjoy themselves in a space that was nice but not too formal,” says Roughan. “One of their friends called it ‘a perfect mix of Nantucket meets Monaco.’ Wow! What a wonderful compliment!”

WELCOME VISITORS

Homeowners aren’t the only ones reaping the fruit of sustainable, high-end outdoor design.

Landscape architects report an increase in the number of honeybees, butterflies, hummingbirds and swarms of beneficial insects in local backyards these days. So are coyotes, bobcats and black bears— all helpful visitors keeping the deer population in check.

More than ever, our sanctuary belongs to our fellow creatures, too. Living in harmony with them, and with family members and friends, will be the real fruit of our labors this planting season.

In designing this outdoor kitchen, Renée Byers took cues from the architecture of the home, wrapping the work area in matching stonework, and creating a flowing stair for access.

GEORGE BYERS

Flinn Gallery

The Flinn Gallery is pleased to present GLOW, featuring four abstract artists: Ryan Crotty, Susan Meyer, Linda Kamille Schmidt and Audrey Stone. These 2D and 3D artworks intersect with themes of color, transparency, process and material. Curated by Ellen Hawley, GLOW invites visitors to lean in and examine the close relationship between colors and the way ambient light plays upon color illuminating artworks that appear to glow, pulsate and float in space. The gallery is located on the second floor of the Greenwich Library, 101 West Putnam Avenue and is open daily Monday to Saturday from 10 to 5 p.m., Thursday until 8 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. flinngallery.com

ART & ANTIQUES

ALDRICH MUSEUM, 258 Main St., Ridgefield, 438-0198. Tues.–Sun. aldrichart.org

AMY SIMON FINE ART, 1869 Post Rd. East, Westport, 259-1500. amysimonfineart.com

BRUCE MUSEUM, 1 Museum Dr., 869-0376. brucemuseum.org

CANFIN GALLERY, 39 Main St., Tarrytown, NY, 914-332-4554. canfingallery.com

CARAMOOR CENTER FOR MUSIC AND THE ARTS, Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah, NY, 914-232-1252. Caramoor is a destination for exceptional music, captivating programs, spectacular gardens and grounds, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. caramoor.org

CAVALIER GALLERIES, 405 Greenwich Ave., 869-3664. cavaliergalleries .com

CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY PRINTMAKING, 299 West Ave., Norwalk, 899-7999. contemprints.org

CLAY ART CENTER, 40 Beech St., Port Chester, NY, 914-937-2047. clayartcenter.org

DISCOVERY MUSEUM AND PLANETARIUM, 4450 Park Ave., Bridgeport, 372-3521. discoverymuseum.org

FAIRFIELD MUSEUM AND HISTORY CENTER, 370 Beach Rd., Fairfield, 259-1598. fairfieldhistory.org

FLINN GALLERY, 101 W. Putnam Ave., 622-7947. flinngallery.com

GERTRUDE G. WHITE GALLERY, YWCA, 259 E. Putnam Ave., 869-6501. ywcagreenwich.org

GREENWICH ARTS COUNCIL, 299 Greenwich Ave., 862-6750. greenwichartscouncil.org

GREENWICH ART SOCIETY, 299 Greenwich Ave. 2nd fl., 629-1533. A studio school that offers a visual arts education program for kids and adults. greenwichartsociety.org

GREENWICH HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 47 Strickland Rd., 869-6899. greenwichhistory.org

KATONAH MUSEUM OF ART, Rte. 22 at Jay St., Katonah, NY, 914-232-9555. katonahmuseum.org

KENISE BARNES FINE ART, 1947 Palmer Ave., Larchmont, NY, 914-834-8077. kbfa.com

LOCKWOOD-MATHEWS MANSION MUSEUM, 295 West Ave., Norwalk, 838-9799. lockwoodmathewsmansion.com

LOFT ARTISTS ASSOCIATION, 575 Pacific St., Stamford, 247-2027. loftartists.org

MARITIME AQUARIUM, 10 N. Water St., S. Norwalk, 852-0700. maritimeaquarium.org

NEUBERGER MUSEUM OF ART, Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Rd., Purchase, NY, 914-251-6100. neuberger.org

PELHAM ART CENTER, 155 Fifth Ave., Pelham, NY, 914-738-2525 ext. 113. pelhamartcenter.org

ROWAYTON ARTS CENTER, 145 Rowayton Ave., Rowayton, 866-2744. rowaytonarts.org

SAMUEL OWEN GALLERY, 382 Greenwich Ave., 325-1924. samuelowen.org »

Everything Immediately by Ryan Crotty, 24 x 18 inches

STAMFORD MUSEUM & NATURE CENTER, 39 Scofieldtown Rd., Stamford, 977-6521. stamfordmuseum.org

UCONN STAMFORD ART GALLERY, One University Pl., Stamford, 251-8400. artgallery.stamford.uconn.edu

WESTPORT ARTS CENTER, 51 Riverside Ave., Westport, 226-7070. westportartscenter.org

YALE CENTER FOR BRITISH ART, 1080 Chapel St., New Haven, 432-2800. britishart.yale.edu

YALE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY, 1111 Chapel St., New Haven, 432-0611. artgallery.yale.edu

CONCERTS, FILM & THEATER

ARENA AT HARBOR YARD, 600 Main St., Bridgeport, 3452300. websterbankarena.com

Historical Society

A dynamic exhibition on the history of local athletes will be on view at the Greenwich Historical Society on Wednesday, March 8 through Sunday, September 3. Sports! More than Just a Game (curated by Kathleen Craughwell-Varda) will feature memorabilia, equipment and personal effects from some of America’s most celebrated athletes who made their homes in Greenwich, including Olympic champions Dorothy Hamill and Donna de Varona, baseball great Tom Seaver and football legend Steve Young. A series of events, including lectures, panel discussions, sporting demonstrations and movies on related themes will be held through the summer. For more information visit greenwichhistory.org.

SILVERMINE GUILD ARTS CENTER, 1037 Silvermine Rd., New Canaan, 966-9700. silvermineart.org

SANDRA MORGAN INTERIORS & ART PRIVÉ, 135 East Putnam Ave., 2nd flr., Greenwich, 629-8121. sandramorganinteriors.com

SOROKIN GALLERY, 96 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, 856-9048. sorokingallery.com

STAMFORD ART ASSOCIATION, 39 Franklin St., Stamford, 325-1139. stamfordartassociation.org

( for more events visit greenwichmag.com )

GREENWICH LIBRARY, 101 W. Putnam Ave., 622-7900. greenwichlibrary.org

JACOB BURNS FILM CENTER, 364 Manville Rd., Pleasantville, NY, 914-773-7663. burnsfilmcenter.org

LONG WHARF THEATRE, 222 Sargent Dr., New Haven, 787-4282. longwharf.com

RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE, 80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, 438-9269. ridgefieldplayhouse.org

RIDGEFIELD THEATER BARN, 37 Halpin Ln., Ridgefield, 431-9850. ridgefieldtheaterbarn.org

SHUBERT THEATER, 247 College St., New Haven, 800-228-6622. shubert.com

Seeds of Hope

April 2 • 12 Noon

AVON THEATRE FILM CENTER, 272 Bedford St., Stamford, 661-0321. avontheatre.org

CURTAIN CALL, The Sterling Farms Theatre Complex, 1349 Newfield Ave., Stamford, 329-8207. curtaincallinc.com

DOWNTOWN CABARET THEATRE, 263 Golden Hill St.,Bridgeport, 576-1636. dtcab.com

LECTURES, TOURS & WORKSHOPS

FAIRFIELD THEATRE COMPANY, On StageOne, 70 Sanford St., Fairfield, 259-1036. fairfieldtheatre.org

GOODSPEED OPERA HOUSE, 6 Main St., East Haddam, 860-873-8668. goodspeed.org

MARCH 2023

Greenwich Center for Hope & Renewal

On Sunday, April 2 at noon, the Greenwich Center for Hope & Renewal will host a brunch and panel discussion focusing on teen mental health—the story behind the crisis of need among our youth, its impact on families and how we can help. Moderated by GCHR’s Executive Director, Reverend Erin Keys, the panel of experts will address the causes of the mental health epidemic and provide tools and strategies for bringing hope to our most vulnerable youth and their families. The event will benefit the Hope Fund, which provides financial assistance to individuals and families who are struggling to afford the cost of therapy. For tickets and more information, visit hopeandrenewal.org. »

GREENWICH 89

Juliette Zabel, Brennan Zabel, Douglas Dozier, Anna Dozier

PHOTOGRAPHY VIDEOGRAPHY SOCIAL MEDIA

Moffly Media is one of the leading providers of professional event photography and marketing services in Fairfield County. We capture compelling, high-quality images of individuals and groups at meaningful events. With our wide range of capabilities from video to social media, Moffly will customize a marketing program that’s just right for you.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: BOB CAPAZZO, KRISTIN HYNES, MELANI LUST & MARSIN MOGIELSKI

Spring Luncheon

A Conversation with Samantha Bee

Samantha Bee is an Emmy-winning comedian, writer, and television host best known for her work as the host of TBS’s Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. Bee began her career as a The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, where she quickly gained recognition for her sharp wit and ability to deliver hilarious yet thought-provoking commentary on current events. In 2016, she became the first woman to host a late-night comedy talk show on a major network with the launch of advocate for reproductive rights and has used her platform to speak out against restrictive abortion laws and to promote affordable health care for all.

is a journalist and television host with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He has worked for major news networks such as NBC, ESPN, and CNN, covering a wide range of topics including sports, politics and current events. In addition to his work as a journalist, he is an avid supporter of various charitable organizations, including those that focus on health care and education.

We are looking for fantastic photos of Greenwich and Greenwich people to feature every month on our new back page. If you would like a chance to be published in Greenwich magazine and win $100 here’s what you should know:

• Photos can be whimsical, historical, serene, funny or beautiful but they all must be taken in Greenwich.

• Photos must be submitted digitally to photos@mofflymedia.com and be 300 dpi and 7 inches high or larger.

• We will need:

1 Photographer’s name, address, phone number and e-mail

2 Subject of the photograph (identify people in the photo)

3 Location of the photograph

4 Inspiration behind the photograph

5 Any interesting anecdote about the photograph or featured subject

NEW LOCATION: HYATT REGENCY GREENWICH, 1800 E. Putnam Ave., Old

STAMFORD CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Palace Theatre, 61 Atlantic St., Stamford, 325-4466. stamfordcenterforthearts.org

WESTPORT COUNTRY

PLAYHOUSE, 25 Powers Ct., Westport, 227-4177. westportplayhouse.org

ALDRICH MUSEUM, 258 Main St., Ridgefield, 438-0198. aldrichart.org

AUDUBON GREENWICH, 613 Riversville Rd., 869-5272. greenwich.audubon.org

AUX DÉLICES, 231 Acosta St., Stamford, 326-4540, ext. 108. auxdelicesfoods.com

BOWMAN OBSERVATORY

PUBLIC NIGHT, NE of Milbank/East Elm St. rotary on the grounds of Julian Curtiss School, 869-6786, ext. 338

BRUCE MUSEUM, 1 Museum Dr., 869-0376. brucemuseum.org

CLAY ART CENTER, 40 Beech St., Port Chester, NY, 914-937-2047. clayartcenter.org

CONNECTICUT CERAMICS

STUDY CIRCLE, Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Dr. ctcsc.org

FAIRFIELD MUSEUM AND HISTORY CENTER, 370 Beach Rd., Fairfield, 259-1598. fairfieldhistory.org

GREENWICH

BOTANICAL CENTER, 130 Bible St., 869-9242. gecgreenwich.org

GREENWICH LIBRARY, 101 W. Putnam Ave., 622-7900. greenwichlibrary.org

KATONAH MUSEUM OF ART, 26 Bedford Rd., Chappaqua, NY, 914-232-9555. katonahmuseum.org

STAMFORD MUSEUM & NATURE CENTER, 39 Scofieldtown Rd., Stamford, 977-6521. stamfordmuseum.org

YWCA Gertrude White Gallery

For the month of March, works by artist Roger Hsia will be on display at the Gertrude White Gallery inside the Greenwich YWCA at 259 W. Putnam Avenue. Hsia studied painting and drawing at Parsons School of Design, University of Michigan and The Art Students League. His work plays with the physical and structural limits of paint by using the material as a sculptural element on the canvas as well as an extension of the canvas. rogerhsia.com

Planned Parenthood

On Monday, April 3, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England (PPSNE) will hold its annual Spring Luncheon both virtually at 12:15 and at the Hyatt Regency (1800 East Putnam Avenue, Old Greenwich), beginning at 11 a.m. Featured speaker Samantha Bee, Emmy-winning comedian, writer and television host, will be onstage in conversation with journalist and television host Rob Simmelkjaer. Dr. Frances W. Ginsburg will receive the Community Impact Award. Co-chairing the event are Jane Carlin, Elissa Garber-Hyman, Lindy Lilien, Mini Nunna, Brice Russian and Carlyle Upson. To register or make a donation online, visit ppsne .org/luncheon or contact Laurie Diorio at laurie.diorio@ppsne.org or 203-215-3709. »

greenwichmag.com

You Can Have It All - Roger Hsia

A Night Under the Stars

AND STRIPES

The Red & White Ball A Salute to Service and Valor

Saturday, April 29, 2023

Greenwich Country Club

6:00 p.m. Cocktails and Silent Auction

7:00 p.m. Dinner, Program, Live Auction and Dancing

Co-Chairs: Connie Anne Harris and Lauren E. Walsh

Honoring

2023 Exceptional Service Honoree

General Eric M. Smith, 36th Assistant Commandant of the United States Marine Corps

2023 Humanitarian Honoree

Pam Farr

2023 Corporate Leadership Honoree

Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association

To purchase tickets, sponsorships and journal acknowledgments please visit redcross.org/mnynball

KIDS’ STUFF MARCH 2023

ALDRICH MUSEUM, 258 Main St., Ridgefield, 438-4519. aldrichart.org

AUDUBON GREENWICH, 613 Riversville Rd., 869-5272. greenwich.audubon.org

AUX DÉLICES, (cooking classes), 23 Acosta St., Stamford, 326-4540 ext. 108. auxdelicesfoods.com

BEARDSLEY ZOO, 1875 Noble Ave., Bridgeport, 394-6565. beardsleyzoo.org

BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF GREENWICH, 4 Horseneck Lane, 869-3224. bgcg.org

BRUCE MUSEUM, 1 Museum Dr., 869-0376. brucemuseum.org

DISCOVERY MUSEUM AND PLANETARIUM, 4450 Park Ave., Bridgeport, 372-3521. discoverymuseum.org

DOWNTOWN CABARET THEATRE, 263 Golden Hill St., Bridgeport, 576-1636. dtcab.com

EARTHPLACE, 10 Woodside Lane, Westport, 227-7253. earthplace.org

GREENWICH HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 39 Strickland St., 869-6899. hstg.org

GREENWICH LIBRARY, 101 W. Putnam Ave., 622-7900. greenwichlibrary.org

IMAX THEATER AT MARITIME AQUARIUM, 10 N. Water St., S. Norwalk, 852-0700. maritimeaquarium.org

KATONAH MUSEUM OF ART, Rte. 22 at Jay St., Katonah, NY, 914-232-9555. katonahmuseum.org

MARITIME AQUARIUM, 10 N. Water St., S. Norwalk, 852-0700. maritimeaquarium.org

NEW CANAAN NATURE CENTER, 144 Oenoke Ridge, New Canaan, 966-9577. newcanaannature.org

RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE, 80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, 438-5795. ridgefieldplayhouse.org

STAMFORD CENTER FOR THE ARTS, Palace Theatre, 61 Atlantic St., Stamford, 325-4466. palacestamford.org

STAMFORD MUSEUM & NATURE CENTER, 39 Scofieldtown Rd., Stamford, 977-6521. stamfordmuseum.org

STEPPING STONES MUSEUM FOR CHILDREN, 303 West Ave., Mathews Park, Norwalk, 899-0606. steppingstonesmuseum.org

WESTPORT ARTS CENTER, 51 Riverside Ave., Westport, 222-7070. westportartscenter.org

WESTPORT COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE, 25 Powers Ct., Westport, 227-4177. westportplayhouse.org G

• APRIL 24

• 2023

HYATT REGENCY GREENWICH | 11:30 A.M. REACH

CO-CHAIRS: CAROLINA CARDOSO, JUDY COLLINS, ERIN JENSEN

greenwichmag.com

C-OH-VID DAYS!

It’s hard to believe that this month marks three years since schools, offices and life as we knew it shut down. Trapped in our homes working and learning, things got a little, well, messy. We think young Nuala Carr perfectly captures the sentiment of parents and kids alike. If we only knew how long “two weeks to flatten the curve” would actually take. (The jury is still out on who made the mess—Nuala or her brother, Cullen.) G

photograph by nuala carr