We are best friends and best friends share everything, including birthdays and, happily, birthday cake!  On Monday night, we consigned new stuff for the shop and celebrated one of our birthdays with cake, natch.

This was not just any cake, this was an exquisite slice of cake from Dagmar’s Desserts. It was delish, laced with chocolate and marzipan and cabernet. Dagmar’s specializes in Bavarian and Austrian pastries, cakes, strudels and torts; and everything is made from scratch. We loooove that they also sell through farmers’ markets, a wonderful way to support local farms, learn about the food you’re eating and meet with the community.

Of course Lyme Farmer’s Market is now closed but until then, run over and visit Dagmar’s at their new digs on Main Street in Old Saybrook, diagonally across the street from the new Katharine Hepburn theater, “The Kate.” It’s easy to find. Thank you, Dagmar, and Happy Birthday to us.

~ Pam and Laurel

Well, we are super excited to get our hands on our very own e-cards. And when we do get them there are at least 7 things we want to do.

1. Buy a Jaqueline Kangley handbag from Alva Gallery.

2. Send flowers to our Mom’s to make up for the guilty pleasures at Alva. Peonies, maybe? We looooove Elements’ cut flowers.

3. Start our holiday shopping at Mix.

4. Close up our shop and shop for ourselves at Peonies, our favorite pick for couture consignment (lol). Hey, 10% off at a consignment shop makes a sweet deal even sweeter!

5. After that, we’ll walk across the street and have a little wine at Gabrielle’s , after which we will zoom over to Liv’s Oyster Bar for a free oyster sampler before we eat dinner.

6. And then, because we are guilty about all that we’ve eaten (ugh), we will sign up for the CT Shoreline Boot Camp.

7. And then, because we have fallen into utter chaos, we will immediately give a shout out Organizing for Life to do what they do best.

And, and, and—we will save a ton of money! Have you heard about the e card? It’s a discount card to some of the best shops, restaurants and services on the CT Shoreline. The mix of participating stores includes places e-list editor Erica Tannen has shopped, eaten or checked out personally. The cost of the card is $25 per year (10% of which will be donated to local non-profit organizations).

We figure we’ll make up the fee in a second with our handbag purchase.

Hey, shop local. It’s a win for everyone.

~ Pam and Laurel

{4.22.09} After 25 years of owning and buying for specialty retail companies, Erica Tannen now pours her energy, her strong sense of style, and her knack for discovering what’s next into her weekly newsletter, the e-list. She regularly introduces readers (like us) to undiscovered gems—like the unique Greenfinds. The e-list is our fave for the latest and greatest in fashion on the shoreline and beyond. We especially love Erica’s rich and growing resource of styles, good eats, and travel—all archived on her website, here.  Erica calls herself “excruciatingly opinionated.” We call it good taste. Oh, and she doesn’t spam you 82 times a day. Love that. Subscribe here. Oh, and can you believe this great newsletter is free? 

~Pam and Laurel

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The Chinese believe that gardening is an art on the same level as painting, poetry, and music. Peonies demand your attention, and there is nothing more pleasing to the senses than the sights and aromas of a colorful peony garden. Mmmmm!

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