A Wine Tour in Prince Edward County - Part 2

On Monday I took you through Part 1 of my Girls Weekend Getaway to Prince Edward County. This follow up post will be picture heavy, are you ready? Okay, let's hit it!

We left off at Karlo Estates Winery, which was my favorite visit. Not that the other stops of the wine tour weren't fabulous but Karlo's had me at "do you want food pairings with your tasting?"

Our next stop was Keint-He Winery and Vineyard and it was in a really beautiful spot. They have north and south facing slopes for their vineyard and that allows for some really different tasting blends coming from one winery. As you can see from the pictures it was so tranquil; you can see lake Ontario just past the vines.

Next we visited one of the more popular wineries in Ontario, Sandbanks, named after the Provincial Park. I have loved their Baco Noir for many years so I tried tasting some different varieties and they were all delish!

 There was some musical entertainment at Sandbanks. At this point on the tour I will pretty pickled so  I sat back, enjoyed the breeze and the relaxing tunes at a near by Adirondack Chair

 Inside the tasting area

Some of the wares at Sandbanks. When you shop while under the influence you buy more! Smart people these Sandbankers.

On to the next! We went to Norman Hardie, another very popular winery. They import their vines from France so if you enjoy French wine, you should check this brand out. I tried their 2010 Chardonnay which I LOVED. It tasted the way you would expect it to be; light, citrus and lingering flavor on the tongue.

Vats at Norman Hardie

Sadly our tour was ending, but our tour guide was smart when she chose Hinterland Wine Company for our last stop. They only create sparkling wine, which I love. Ending a great day with a celebratory "CHEERS" with Champagne flutes filled with bubbly goodness. I tried their Whitecap 2012 Method Charmat.... 

AHHH-MAZING!

 As the vines do not grow very tall in this region of Ontario, the grapes need to be picked by hand. Here are some of the workers returning from a long day out in the field. I stumbled through some Spanish with them and they were super friendly even after a long day working outside.

 #FarmLife

We arrived back at Angeline's just after 6PM and we sat in this little trellis area and chatted, relaxed and let our wine buzz wash over us with satisfaction. Seven wineries on one tour, not too shabby!

 Me, Denise, Kelly and you can spot Beth in the distance Face Timing.

The night we ate dinner at the Waring House, which I have frequented many times and it's consistently a good time with great food. 

 This is a poorly taken iPhone picture with a messy room in the back ground. Oh well, you make do!

Dress: NEW! Vero Moda

Shoes: Adlo

Clutch: Le Chateau

County Cider and Cheddar Soup, YES! 

Another bad iPhone snap of the band Pearl who kept us tapping our toes while enjoying our meal. 

And FINALLY we reach the end of another lengthy post. I really hope you enjoy me taking you through this wine tour and PEC visit. Part 3 will be short (I promise!) and you will get to see which wines I ended up purchasing! Save the best for last I say :-)

Dig It

I loves me some Leo and his work with Martin Scorsese is always awesome. Their newest collaboration is going to be one hell of a ride!  The Wolfe of Wall Street looks like the original movie 80's excess via  stock trading , Wall Street, on acid.

Leo DiCaprio stars as Jordan Belfort, a highly successful stockbroker working in the Big Apple, who refuses to cooperate with a fraud case involving corporate banking and the mob. The movie also stars the lovable Jonah Hill, the smooth talking Matthew McConaughy and is directed, of course, by the great Martin Scorsese.

Sometimes when your favorite movie stars or directors join forces the outcome is anti-climatic at best. However the first trailer  for The Wolfe of Wall Street appears to be showcasing all of DiCaprio's bravado and then some.

Take a look at the official trailer for The Wolfe of Wall Street and see for yourself!

A Wine Tour in Prince Edward County - Part 1

Since I have lived in Ontario (moved here when I was 12), in the Summer a must go to trip would be to Prince Edward County, more specifically Picton, to lie on the beach or camp in Sandbanks Provincial Park. When I was young this was a favorite spot of mine, the beach has nearly white sand, there are gorgeous sand dunes to explore and it really is the only nice beach of this size in the immediate area. It is located in beautiful Prince Edward County where B&B's, 30+ wineries and amazing restaurants are a way of life. Things just seem more laid back when you are in "the county" and the landscape is totally serene with idyllic homes and cottages peppering the vast farmer's fields.

This weekend I was lucky enough to travel to the county with four girlfriends that I have known since Elementary School. We all met up in Bloomfield and stayed at this super cute and affordable Inn called Angeline's. It is a combination of a motel with affordable yet really contemporary rooms, a cottage with more upscale suites and an Inn with more rooms furnished with antiques acquired from the area. We stayed in the motel and it was really fun! We had side-by-side rooms so we could just sit outside of the rooms at a patio table and chill out with a drink, watching the comings and goings of the visitors to PEC.

 Angeline's Motel. I didn't get a picture of the inside of our Room but there are pictures available on the website.

Right across the way, the entrance to the Hubb

We arrived on Friday evening and went for a meal at Angeline's restaurant called the Hubb. I can tell you have eaten in countless restaurants this was one of the BEST dinning experiences I have had.

 This is the Hubb Burger. It had fois grais and bacon jam along with locally made cheese. There is some grainy mustard and homemade ketchup on the side with some potatoes. TO. DIE. FOR!

Double Trouble? Count me in! Note: this was my friend's beer. I wouldn't dare order a beer in Wine Country!

In the morning we went into the town of Picton and did some shopping. I didn't buy anything but scouted out some possible online purchases. Hopefully more on that to come! Our wine tour didn't start until 1PM so we grabbed some lunch at Buddha Dog. This is an eat here before you die experience for sure. Locally raised beef to create hot dogs that look more like pepperettes (that's what happens without all the fillers and nitrates), combined with sauces made from ingredients all grown in the County. The map behind the counter you see here is drawn in chalk and shows where they get their ingredients from. I love that!

 Getting our dogs ready!

Sample flight that was put together by the Ladies of Buddha Dog. All had sauces that ranged from Sweet to Savory to Spicy. They were so unique and delicious.

On to the Wine Tour! We loaded up in a van and began the tour lead by our super sweet and knowledgeable driver, Murial. I'm sorry that I didn't get a picture of her now #fail. Our first stop was Huff Estates which I have visited before and stayed at their Inn a few years ago.

 My friends, Kelly and Denise outside of Huff. What do you think of Denise's sunglasses? Retro much?

 The vineyard at Huff's. They bury all of the vines in the ground for the Winter otherwise they would all be destroyed. That would be a big job considering the size of the vineyard.

Next we visited Sugarbush Vineyards, one of the smaller wineries but they produced some very unique blends. Robert Peck, one of the owners/operators was a very generous pourer. A quality that instantly endeared me to him. He also works 40 hours as an Engineer and said that he puts in MORE than 40 hours/week with the winery! But he's living the dream and is good at at what he does.

 Robert Peck. 

These are soon to be Sugarbush vines that were imported from Europe. They have wax covering them to protect from diseases that they can carry that aren't present in North America. They are soaking in water for 10 days to prepare them for planting.

On to what was my favorite winery of the tour, probably because they provided a pairing of food with every tasting, of which we had nine. This is Karlo Estates, located in an old barn that has been converted into a tasting area and restaurant . This was such a beautiful space to relax and enjoy all of the pairing of whites and reds. We weren't rushed through and took our time enjoying a wide variety of Whites, Roses, Reds and Ports. Every morsel of meats, cheese, olives and even potato chips paired beautifully with the wine and really brought out the best flavors. They are known for their excellent Ports and I picked one of the red ports up which I never thought I would buy but it was insanely good. I can't wait to enjoy it on a warm Summer evening.

Our tasting guide cutting up one the pairings for a Red, spicy sausage.

Inside the tasting area.

Here is a cute collage that Denise texted me last night of our trip. There weren't many picture of me that I liked so I didn't post any. But is collage is such a cute recap of our Weekend Getaway.

My apologies for the lengthy post, and this is only post 1 of 2 or maybe 3! I hope you enjoy peeking at our wine tour and if you need a relaxing weekend of wine, food and overall indulgence, I HIGHLY recommend Prince Edward County! Stay tuned for more!

Bright Sun Shinny Day!

As I have mentioned before, I am SO NOT a morning person, I am literally dragging myself out of bed after hitting the snooze repeatedly. Confession: if I am having a particularly pathetic morning, I sit down in the shower for a couple of minutes. I just sit there under the water wishing I could go back to bed. Does anyone else do this? Please say yes! LOL.

Once I eventually get moving though, usually after the caffeine hits the bloodstream, I am really to take on the day. Here's a snap of what I eat for breakfast at work every weekday morning.

 This is a blow of Sally's Organic Cereals that I previously blogged about here. I sprinkle a mix of ground flax seed, additional oats, some dried raisins and pumpkin seeds. This is super filling and really  satisfying. Tastes great too!

Another way to wake me up in the morning is wearing something with color. Bright, brilliant color! I don't own many pieces in yellow, but this dress is a favorite of mine because it is so happy looking. I bought this last year to host my Rommie/BFF's first baby shower. Super stressful day but I can't proudly say I got through it without loosing my marbles.

Dress: Jacob

Belt: Bought this in Montreal, can't remember where but I wear it often.

Shoes: Adlo, seen here

Best part of this dress, the not so obvious pattern in white!

What do you do to get through the morning grind? Please share your tips with me in the comments! I obviously need them :-)

Melmac xoxoxox

How do you pick which cosmetics to buy?

*Note: This book was not sent to me to endorse in any way and I did not receive compensation. These options are my own.*

For Christmas this past year my Mom gave me a book that she saw me read in Costco one day. It's called Don't Go To The Cosmetic Counter Without Me by Paula Begoun, a well known cosmetic expert. You can read more about her on her website here. This book is like an Encyclopedia for all cosmetics from face wash to lipstick, it has tons of products listed here broken down by brands and categories.

What makes this book so useful is that her ratings are based on the ingredients used in each product and also  spells out whether to product delivers on it's claims i.e. "moisturizes for 24 hours"! She will also disclosed if the product is tested on animals which if you have a soul, you will care about :)

I am a cosmetics junkie.... this is just some of what is in my purse and desk at work.

I have a ton more at home that fills a full drawer in my dresser, several plastic storage containers and about 1/2 of my cabinet in my bathroom!

In North America, we spend $7 Billion a year on cosmetics! That's mind blowing! That doesn't count plastic surgery either. I know I spend a lot of my income on beauty products and I used spare almost no expense on what I thought was a life changing product. Now that I am older I try to be more practical with my spending on beauty and this book has been an invaluable resource in that goal.

When approaching the cosmetics area of your local department store or pharmacy, it can be overwhelming! There are so many brands and products to choose from. This one moisturizes, oh but this one makes me look younger, this one has SPF and this one has sparkles on the package (how cute!). How can we possibly choose the best product at an affordable price when there are so many options? And after we have spent our hard earned money, are we going to be happy with that purchase? Well Paula is here to help you!

Paula rates products from Poor, Average, Good and Best with honesty and fairness from how they are packaged to what the ingredients do, results you can expect and their price points (huge money save here if you are slave to expensive, trendy brands). Paula also has her own line of cosmetics available on her website.

Now there will always be a matter of preference to consider. Even if Paula rates a brand with a less than Best rating, you may still love that product and see great results from it. For example, I have no idea why people love Maybelline Great Lash Mascara. It has been rated at the top of almost every magazine's" best mascaras" for decades and makeup artists claim it is a must have. I don't get it, the brush sucks and the results are "meh" in my opinion.  Paula, however rates it as Poor, finally someone sees the light!

I think it is really great to have a reference guide to arm yourself when you purchase a cosmetic of any kind. I refer to this book all the time and her website as well!

You can find Don't Go To The Cosmetic Counter Without Me in any bookstore or on Amazon and it retails for approximately $26.36 CND.

I hope you'll find this post useful and next time, before to run out to drop your dollar bills on the latest and greatest in make up or wrinkle cream, do some research to get the best bang for your buck!

Melmac oxoxoxox

Sunday Funday!

Gooooood Morning! I hope everyone had a super weekend. Here in Ottawa, Saturday was a really grey, gloomy, muggy day (which I loath) but Sunday had glorious weather! I may be the only one but my weekends are normally split into a fun Saturday and Sunday is either lazy or dedicated to getting stuff done like laundry, cleaning, errands etc... But this weekend it was reversed! I had a great Sunday where I got up and went for a really long walk through some paths near my home which I haven't done in forever. It was bright, sunny but not unbearably hot with not too many bugs. I had my music going to keep me motivated to keep on walking and I really felt like I was able to get a lot of pent up stress out of my system. After the walk I felt refreshed, a little sore and mentally I was more at peace then I have felt in a while. I didn't realize how much I needed that outdoor activity.

After my walk, I was lucky enough to lay by the pool to catch some rays and managed to clean the pool cleaner and do a sweep with the bug net; which gave me a feeling of accomplishment for the day!

In the evening, my Rommie and I met some of her girlfriends for some drinks and a bite at Milestones restaurant here in Ottawa. I LOVE Caesar's so I downed a couple of those before dinner and had a glass of Malbec with my meal, which was Portobello Mushroom Chicken. SO YUM!

I didn't get a picture of the actual meal so this is courtesy of Sherman's Food Adventures. 

 This is what I wore out to dinner, yes that's the same Coach purse in Purple, seen here and here! If you find a clothing piece or accessory that you LOVE and comes in different colors, always buy at least two!

 Top: Joe Fresh, seen here.

Skirt: Giant Tiger, yep I swear it! It's just a basic black skirt but it works in several different outfit choices and it's comfy!

Necklace: Old, can't remember where I bought it.

Bracelets: Both from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. If you ever travel to Mexico, pick up some silver jewelry there. It's reasonably priced and the pieces are beautiful.

Shoes (seen above): Novellino in Kingston, Ontario

Neon & Snake Skin

Happy Friday All! My tried and true store delivers again; I am talking about Dynamite!

I had to run to the St. Laurent Shopping Center during my lunch hour yesterday and I tried so hard no to be tempted into Dynamite. But I am weak and they are having a buy one get one at 50%off sale so how can I say no to that. Besides every dollar I spend is good for the economy....right....right?

I am in desperate need of tops so I tried on these Neon Chiffon blouses and picked up the below color, a beautifully cheery neon orange and one in white (wanted neon pink but there were out of my size). These tops are light & summery and are easy to wear with work attire or casual, like I am wearing today.

Top: Dynamite (new!)

Tank: American Eagle (old)

Jeans: Jessica Simpson, Kiss Me Jeggings, seen here, here and here

Shoes: Nine West, these are HAWT! Love these shoes and I dared to wear them to work today.

Happy Weekend! Be safe and have fun!

MelMac oxoxoxoxx

Zig! Then Zag!

Two of the BEST things I love about Spring/Summer are:

1) Not wearing socks.... who's with  me?
2) Skirts/dresses to work or to play

It is the most freeing feeling to throw on a skirt or dress and some heels or flip-flops and go. I also feel like my tops have new life breathed into them when paired with a sharp looking skirt.

 Top: Dynamite

Skirt: BCBG

I tend to shy away from busy looking prints for tops. Reason being that with my bust size and big hair; bold prints can look overwhelming on me. I normally choose clean lines for tops that are a solid color to not make me appear too top heavy. BUT when I saw this top from Dynamite I thought it might work and be a good change of pace from my typical top choices. This print top does work! It is a zig-zag pattern that draws the line of the waist in while adding pops of color. The top is flowy but has a cinched waist so it doesn't look like Maternity wear.

 Close up of the top

 This necklace is a personal favorite of mine. It was bought for me in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in 2011 and when I wear it, I am always reminded of that amazing trip!

Shoes: Nine West, my most comfortable pair of heels!

Fav Quotes

"Happiness is only real, when it is shared" - Into the Wild, film based on Christopher McCandless