Lisa Curlett Compass

Summer Outdoor Dining Fun

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I don’t know about you, but my favorite time of the year to dine at a restaurant is during the summer when I can sit outside and enjoy the sun, sky, people watching and gorgeous views while eating a meal. Just the thought of it puts a smile on my face, brings fun into the equation and spells R-E-L-A-X-A-T-I-O-N - all at the same time. On this joyful and happy note, I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite, summer outdoor ‘burb and city dining picks (in alphabetical order):

These are only a few of the many fabulous options that the city and ‘burbs of Boston offer to its residents and visitors. What are your some of your favorites for summer outdoor dining? And what makes them special to you? I can’t wait to hear….

For more information on this or about the real estate market in Weston, Wellesley, Wayland and the surrounding towns or if you are considering selling your home, please contact me, Lisa Curlett (www.lisacurlett.com, 781-267-2844 or lisa.curlett@compass.com), to answer any questions or for a complimentary home appraisal.

What Says Summer to You?

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Summer typically runs from June 21’ish - September 22’ish*, and most of us associate it with a time when the kids aren’t in school, schedules are more relaxed, traveling and vacations are more frequent, the days are longer, the weather is warmer, and the sun shines more than during any other season of the year. It’s absolute heaven, right?

So during this magical, sunny, spontaneous and joyful time, what is it that says summer to you? Is it a place, a smell, a song, a memory, a friend, a feeling, an experience or something else? For me, there are a few things that embody summer.

  • First, it’s the smell of my very favorite suntan lotion - Hawaiian Tropic. In my mind, the lotion is synonymous with the beach, relaxation, being in the present, beauty surrounding me, and of course, a yummy fragrance.

  • Second, it’s having a “Pyrate Smash” at Fishbones in Martha’s Vineyard. My sweetie and I absolutely love to go here on a warm, gorgeous day, and we love sitting outside, smiling in the sunshine, meeting new people and drinking our favorite rum drink. What’s better than that?

  • Third, it’s being in Nantucket, where I have been going since I was three years old - which means for a very long time! It’s my absolute favorite place in the entire world, hand’s down and always and forever. I have built and experienced so many incredible memories and times there that it’s the most special place to me all times of the year, but especially in the summer….

So now that you’ve heard about summer for me, what says summer to you? Is it one thing or many? Is it a smell, an experience, a place or something altogether different? I can’t wait to hear….

For more information on this or about the real estate market in Weston, Wellesley, Wayland and the surrounding towns or if you are considering selling your home, please contact me, Lisa Curlett (www.lisacurlett.com, 781-267-2844 or lisa.curlett@compass.com), to answer any questions or for a complimentary home appraisal.


*According to Calendarpedia.com. “In the Northern Hemisphere spring ends and summerstarts at the moment of the June solstice, which occurs every year between June 20 and June 22. Summer ends and autumn starts at the moment of the September equinox, which occurs every year on September 21 to 23.”

Your Favorite Summer Read

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What’s better in the summer than sitting at the beach with the sun in your face, listening to the sounds of the ocean, playing a fun beach game or two and then settling into your comfy chair to start that summer book that you’ve been waiting for months to read. In fact, the photo here just about sums it all up. I look at it, and I’m instantly relaxed and happy. Ahhhhh. Reading at the beach is one of my favorite things to do. There’s almost nothing better than getting completely and fully-immersed into my much-anticipated summer read ☀️🏝📚….

I know there are several of you out there who love summer reading on the beach as much as I do. There must be, in fact, because you can actually google “Summer Reads 2019” and get a laundry list of links filled with books perfect the months of June through August. And keep in mind that summer reading can be done anytime and anywhere - while you’re traveling, going to bed, waiting for an appointment or just killing time. But for me, the beach and reading go hand in hand.

My favorite kind of summer read is some type of psychological thriller. I hate to say it, but recently, these are the only sorts of books I find myself reading. I just finished, The Girl Before by JP Delaney, which was fabulous and soon to be a major motion picture. And prior to that, it was The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn., and Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris. Next on my list is either The Silent Patient or The Mother-in-Law - or both.

Now it’s your turn…what is your favorite summer read? What’s on your list for the beach or while you’re on vacation this summer? And what kinds of book do you especially love during the summer or anytime of the year? I can’t wait to hear….

For more information on this or about the real estate market in Weston, Wellesley, Wayland and the surrounding towns or if you are considering selling your home, please contact me, Lisa Curlett (www.lisacurlett.com, 781-267-2844 or lisa.curlett@compass.com), to answer any questions or for a complimentary home appraisal.

New Restaurant Fun in the 'Burbs

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I’m thrilled to announce that we have two new, exciting restaurant options in the ‘burbs - Door No. 7 in Wellesley and The Federal in Waltham. And I was lucky enough to be a patron of both this week…. First, my Compass colleagues and I met at Door No. 7 on Thursday evening to kick off the New Year! This is “the seventh restaurant for John and Laura Wolfe, the husband and wife team behind the well known restaurant The Cottage, in Wellesley,” according to the website. “The new restaurant will have constantly changing, chef-inspired raw bar, small plates, and entrees as well as craft cocktails and martinis.” We experienced this first-hand with fresh oysters, lobster toast appetizers and asian noodle salads. I also stayed for dinner with a client and friend, and we dined on the Crab Salad, House Ricotta Gnocchi and No. 7 Burger. Everything was delicious. The atmosphere was sophisticated and visually appealing, and the place was full of fabulous energy with people rolling in all night. Based on the crowd we saw, it seems that Door No. 7 is the hottest spot in town right now.

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Second, my sweetie Bob and I went to The Federal in Waltham this weekend to celebrate his birthday. Termed “a modern steakhouse” on its website, we nabbed two seats at the long, dark-wooded bar filled with every kind of bottle you can imagine. The menu includes a full background on Executive Chef Diego, who is originally from Brazil and studied culinary arts at Newbury College, working his way through school at Baker’s Best. He went on to be part of the opening team for Lydia Shire and Jasper White’s Towne Stove & Spirits as well as the Executive Sous Chef for Bancroft & Co. His experience is “legit” as they say because the food was incredibly yummy! We split the New York Strip (16 oz.) with a Horseradish Crema sauce as well as the Creamed Spinach with Double Smoked Bacon and Kennebec Fries with Truffle Oil and Parmesan. There was a great vibe at The Federal, and the patrons around us seemed to be enjoying their dinner choices as much as we did.

I definitely want to go back to both restaurants to get to know them better. What about you? Have you had a chance to try Door No. 7 in Wellesley and/or The Federal in Waltham? If so, did you enjoy your dining experience? Would you go back again? I can’t wait to hear….

For more information on this or about the real estate market in Weston, Wellesley, Wayland and the surrounding towns or if you are considering selling your home, please contact me, Lisa Curlett (www.lisacurlett.com, 781-267-2844 or lisa.curlett@compass.com), to answer any questions or for a complimentary home appraisal.


Fashion Fashionistas: The 76th Golden Globe Awards

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Last night - the airing of the 76th Golden Globe Awards - was big for tv, film and fashion fans like me. The award ceremony was broadcast on NBC from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA and was hosted by Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg. Taking place just after the New Year, The Golden Globes always serve as the kick off to the award ceremony season and so fashion fever is in overdrive to say the least. The awards, festivities and especially the Red Carpet were all fabulous!

But for our purposes, let’s focus on the fashion of the evening. This year once again, I’ve decided to highlight my Fashion Favorites and not dabble into the “Could Have Been Better.” No need for that…. But before I get started on my choices, I wanted to share the thoughts and perspectives of Zanna Roberts Rassi, E! News Style Correspondent. On this morning’s Today Show, Roberts Rassi said she had two favorites. The first was Emily Blunt in an Alexander McQueen gown. Roberts Rassi said the dress had “the most elegant embroidery…. You can’t see the detail in here, but it has horses and moons and stars; it’s so exquisite…. That belongs in a museum.” She continued by saying that the other person “who completely shut it down for me” was none other than Lady Gaga in Valentino Couture. She described Gaga as a “Fashion maverick. And she always brings it 1,000%…. I love the nod to Judy Garland in the original A Star is Born; it was actually a similar dress…. She just goes for a look head to toe.”

I couldn’t agree more on both counts. But before we get to that, it’s only right for me to add my disclaimer that I am no fashionista* but just a regular Realtor, mom, daughter, sister, etc. without any training in fashion or award show styling. I just like what I like. So with all that said, here are my five favorites of the evening (listed in alphabetical order):

  • Emily Blunt in Alexander McGueen – I loved the intricacy of the lace design and the chic look. I also loved that hers was 3/4 length and so different than many of the others but still quite sophisticated. And her stunning look was completed by her handsome husband (and fellow Brown University alum 👨‍🎓), John Krasinski, on her arm.

  • Patricia Clarkson in a Georges Chakra haute couture gown. After having just binge watched Sharp Objects two days ago, I have such admiration for this grande dame. She is elegance personified, and it was in clear view last night. According to the Hollywood Reporter, “After her win, she smiled in the gown, saying, ‘This is what 59 looks like.’” Impressive! And Congrats to her on her win for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series!

  • Lady Gaga in Valentino Couture. To me, Gaga had - by far - the most dramatic, show-stopping fashion look of the evening. In my humble opinion, no one was even close to comparing. And oh my gosh - the Tiffany Aurora diamond necklace to boot! That being said, I wasn’t a huge fan of the periwinkle blue hair dye to match the dress, but oh well…. And Congrats also to her on her win for Best Song, Shallow!

  • Thandie Newton in a Michael Cors collection gown. This was a Hot Wow given her metallic, shiny dress featuring form-fitting and skin-revealing cutouts. It was perfectly sexy and smoldering and yet understated all at the same time.

  • Lupita Nyong’o in Calvin Klein by Appointment. My favorite part about her gorgeous blue gown was the way it moved and sparkled. One part fun, another part playful and a third part sensational. Bravo!

We can’t end our fashionista review without a shout out to the men of the evening because they looked dynamite too! We would be remiss if we didn’t mention Billy Porter’s colorful “lavishly hand-beaded and embroidered jacket with an attached, fuschia-lined cape layered over a form-fitting beaded and embroidered tulle shirt with a silk collar” as detailed by the Hollywood Reporter. Wow - I love the entrance he made! As you can probably tell, though, I tend to like a slightly more traditional look so some of my faves included Michael B. Jordan in Burberry, Viggo Mortenson in Dior Men and Sterling K. Brown in Brunello Cucinelli. And while I wasn’t a huge fan of the white head-to-toe tux that Bradley Cooper donned, he is a style icon no matter what he chooses to wear (no bias there 😉).

What an amazing night with incredibly elegant, fun and dramatic fashion choices! What did you think? What were your fashion favorites? Were they similar to mine? I can’t wait to hear….

For more information on this or about the real estate market in Weston, Wellesley, Wayland and the surrounding towns or if you are considering selling your home, please contact me, Lisa Curlett (www.lisacurlett.com, 781-267-2844 or lisa.curlett@compass.com), to answer any questions or for a complimentary home appraisal.


* My other caveat is that unfortunately I wasn’t at the Golden Globes, and so I didn’t get a chance to see all of the participants and their fashion choices – only those that were on TV or online – nor did I see them in person with my own eyes.

Weston Boosters Celebrates Its 75th Anniversary!

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It’s an exciting year for the Weston Boosters as 2018 marks its 75th anniversary!  As the 75th anniversary is traditionally designated as a “diamond” year, the Boosters is bringing the bling to its annual fall fundraiser, “The Denim and Diamonds Bash,” which will be held on Saturday, November 3, 2018 from 7-11 p.m. at the Weston Recreation Center in Weston, MA. It promises to be an evening filled with sparkle, dazzle and lots of fun for all! But before getting into the details of the Bash, here are a few historic and impressive facts about the non-profit, all-volunteer organization that you might not know. 

 Founded in 1943, the Weston Boosters originally began as a group of parents and students who wrote letters to the 500+ boys, 9 girls and three Weston teachers serving in World War II.  These letters provided town news and reports of high school sports and gave an indescribable “boost” to those serving in the war. Weston parents and students met weekly to send out these letters, and when the war was over, the “Boosters” held a celebration to honor the Weston veterans upon their return. Ever since then, the Boosters has been fostering positive community involvement and generating awareness, enthusiasm and financial support for Weston’s athletic facilities and student athlete programs. 

Through its annual fall fundraising event, spring outreach campaign and apparel sales, the Boosters has consistently been able to generate funding for equipment, coaching aids, uniforms, supplies, transportation and other items for Weston High School and Middle School sports - a total of 24 programs in all.  The cost of these items go beyond what can be covered by the usual school budget process, but their presence makes a decided difference in the district’s ability to offer top athletic programs to its students.  

In 2016 and 2017, the Boosters raised approximately $65,000. With that amount of fundraising, the non-profit organization was able to double its funding for college scholarships last year plus fund field wraps for Field 1 and Proctor Field, purchase a new electronic scoreboard for Field 1 and new scoreboard tables for basketball and volleyball, help cover funding for the ski team, sport-specific clinics and equipment - to name just a few of the contributions.

And this brings us back to the “Denim and Diamonds Bash” Fall Fundraiser. The Bash is a special celebration - not only because it marks the Booster’s 75th Diamond Anniversary, but also because it offers incredibly exciting auction items and opportunities that will allow the non-profit to continue to significantly support the Weston schools’ athletic programs. In addition, AM DePrisco Jewelers in Wellesley, MA has very generously donated a Diamonds by the Yard necklace for an opportunity draw to raise funds. The necklace is an 18 karat, white gold necklace with 1.00 carat total weight of round brilliant cut diamonds. Valued at $2,450, the necklace will be drawn out of a pool of only one hundred opportunity draws!

There will also be a chance to bid on and potentially win some fantastic live auction items, including: 

         * a Nantucket weekend getaway for 2 with hotel as well as golfing and fishing excursions

         * a Celtics package with 4 tickets and 6 hours of limo service 

         * a custom-framed and signed Rob Gronkowski Patriots jersey

         * 2 sets of 4 front-row seats and parking for the 2019 Weston High School Graduation Ceremony

         * a 5-course Italian gourmet dinner plus wine for 10 at the home of a well-known Weston Restaurant Developer

There will also be two other opportunity draw packages – a Yeti cooler for him and a Lululemon bag for her – complete with spa-service and exercise pack gift cards, grilling tools and sauces, power beats earphones, Boston Cannon tickets, a night at The Mandarin Hotel and SO much more. 

The evening promises to deliver yummy food, songs, dancing galore and fabulous entertainment. Delight in farm to fork dinner options freshly and creatively prepared with seasonal ingredients by Weston Resident David Goldstone and his company Wildfire Catering. Dance to the high-energy club music of Siagel Productions – DJ Darren will be spinning. And of course, the bling of the auction items won’t disappoint.

Tickets to the Denim and Diamonds Bash are $100 per person and are available online – https://www.westonboosters.net/events. Last year, this event sold out so purchase your tickets ASAP and partake in a fabulous, sparkling and awesome evening. For more information or to donate to the Boosters, go online - https://www.westonboosters.net- or email the organization – info@westonboosters.net.

For more information on this or about the real estate market in Weston, Wellesley, Wayland and the surrounding towns or if you are considering selling your home, please contact me, Lisa Curlett (www.lisacurlett.com, 781-267-2844 or lisa.curlett@compass.com), to answer any questions or for a complimentary home appraisal.