A WINNER! Summer's Last Hurrah Giveaway!

Did you enjoy the unofficial "end of summer" holiday weekend?

I did! 

Today is my birthday, and my family surprised me 
with a beautiful brunch at one of my favorite restaurants.
I couldn't have asked for a more perfect birthday weekend!

But this isn't about me.
This is about the winner of my Summer's Last Hurrah Giveaway!

 You don't think I'm going to tell you who it is right away, do you?

I'm trying to build a little suspense here!

This contest was a little different than my other
"Where in the World is Ms. Toody?" giveaways,

when you had to guess where I was based on photo clues.

This time, I gave you a list of places to choose from,

so even if you've never stepped foot in the town we were in,

you would have just as good a chance as anyone else to win.

Know what? I'm going to do it this way from now on,

in order to encourage more people to participate.

To recap, the choice you had to make 
is whether we were in Fire Island or the Hamptons, 
and then narrow it down to the exact town, using the list I gave you. 

 I loved reading your answers, 

because each of your guesses evoked a special memory for me.

You see, we've spent upwards of 20 summers in both Fire Island and The Hamptons,
and I've been to almost every town.

I met Mr. GS in Ocean Bay Park, Fire Island.

He popped "the" question in Westhampton.

We owned a house in East Hampton, 
where Junior GS had many "firsts" (read about that here).

But this time, we were in...

Amagansett -- The Hamptons

And the winner who guessed Amagansett is...

Doreen from House Honeys!

Congratulations, Doreen!
 

I'll be sending Doreen a small gift box with some local goodies from the Hamptons. 

 As much as we've spent time in these two Long Island beach areas,

we haven't been out there with Junior Goo Shoes since he was three years old!

This summer seemed like the perfect time to go,

since six of JGS's camp friends and their families were going to be in the Hamptons,

and as everyone knows, if the kids are happy, we're happy!

It worked out great -- he had friends to hang around with;

we took his friends out to dinner a couple of times, and heard lots of camp stories;

we showed him our old house, 
 took him to places he hasn't been to since he was a toddler;

and, the weather was perfect!!!

Here are just a few snaps...

Amagansett Beach

Amagansett Beach

Yes, the Lobster Roll (aka "Lunch") where Noah first spots Alison, in The Affair

The view from our room

Lots of farmland in the Hamptons

Lots of old houses, too. The Hamptons were settled in the mid-1600s

Hook Windmill, an iconic East Hampton landmark, built in 1806.

Thanks to everyone who played along in the contest.

Let's give a round of applause to Doreen!
If you aren't familiar with Doreen's blog, Househoneys,
I encourage you to visit!
Doreen is a witty writer, and talented photographer who
shares snippets of life in and around her pretty cabin in the country. 



Stay tuned for the next Where In the World is Ms. Toody,
wherever and whenever that may be!