Photos

I know I've become a horrible blogger but I do have some posts from the past month that I'll get around to, hopefully soon. However, for now, check out this link for a little Photoshoot session we did with long time friend and AMAZING photographer, Milla. If you need photos taken, use Milla!! You'll be happy you did.

Summer in the City, Part 3

Since it's almost the weekend yet again! let's finish up last weekend's food jaunts around the city. This one landed us over in the East Village at a well-known brunch spot, Peels. I had been wanting to try this place out for at least a year and never made it over there, that is until Sunday. My year of waiting and reading reviews was worth it. We met up with some friends and snagged a table outside on the sidewalk. They're known for their bakery and biscuits. And even though the biscuits are not southern style biscuits they are still quite large and buttery! The rest of the food was done just right and had incredible flavor, even my egg whites.  But since we were all enjoying each other's company and the weather we decided to head over the another place I'd been wanting to try for a year. The Doughnut Plant!  Our brunch needed a little dessert. And sweet we got. Nothing to say on this one besides, "go have a doughnut." After all that we thought we better walk home. Whew!

 Shrimp and grits

Summer in the City, Part 2

So I gave the teaser yesterday which means I have to follow through with some pictures and details. After beginning the weekend off with Friday night at Cafe Condesa we then moved onto Saturday evening in the park. We met up with some friends in Central Park and took over a little plot outside of the Summerstage where Gavin DeGraw and Colbie Calliat were playing in concert, together! If you're wondering why we didn't buy tickets and go inside the open-air venue then let me explain. 1. We would have had to pay 2. We wouldn't have been able to move freely 3. We couldn't have had our homemade guacamole, cookies, drinks, etc 4. We wouldn't have been able to throw some balls around. So therefore, we had the ideal spot! After the concert ended we walked through the park and over to the Hudson river for more NYC fun on the water. We ate lobster rolls and drank beer outside while the sun went down at Pier Cafe. The lobster rolls were delicious with just a little mayo - more lobster = perfect. There was also a saxophonist playing which made the atmosphere that much more enjoyable. I'm not sure if he's there often but even if he's not then I would still suggest you go try it out!

Summer in the City

It looks like Summer is finally here to stay! It's been said that NYC is a very bi-polar city. I must agree. During the winter people are dying to escape BUT come Summer everyone realizes just how glorious the city is and doesn't want to leave. (Unless it's to the Hamptons, which is really just NYC at the beach) I am one of these NYC bi-polar people. I love the city in the Summer! This weekend confirmed my love once again.

It was friend and food-filled. What more do you want during these months? Except for maybe nice weather but we had that as well! So this week I'm blogging about all the different places we went to this past weekend. Get ready because it's all about food. And good food at that. However, this first post is just an introduction. Haha

But if you're needing something to fill your food desires then check out where we went on a date Friday night up in the West Village... Cafe Condesa. It's a tiny little place and oh so tasty!

Check out how tall the world trade center is getting!!!

Newbies

I'm a few days behind but I have finally gotten all the new pieces up on the website. I'll constantly be putting more up as I make them so don't think this is it. However, there are about 20 new pieces to peruse through! Have fun looking...

Summer in the City

This past weekend was a wonderful one! We started on Friday night with a fun dinner with friends at Extra Virgin and a post-dinner rooftop drink. Saturday morning we began with Krispy Kreme doughnuts (a family favorite.) The doughnuts were just to warm the stomach up for what was to come next. For over a month a group of our friends have had tickets to Taste of Tribeca. It's a great neighborhood event where most all of the restaurants participate. They block off around 8 blocks and have live music, tastings from each restaurants, and  a kids tent with face painting, etc. The food was wonderful and we finally were able to try out some of our local neighborhood restaurants we've walked past numerous times. After we had our fill of food we moved onto the local wine stores where they were having free wine tastings. I think we all needed to sit and let our stomachs settle so we headed to the park and just sat.
 Later that night, Ben and I went to see the Broadway play Newsies for my birthday! It was one of my favorite movies as a little girl and the play definitely did not disappoint. (If you're visiting the city or live here make sure you go) It was quite hard not to sing along during the play but I managed to hold back until we were back in our apartment. I feel bad for our neighbors.
We ended the weekend with a delicious steak dinner with friends in Midtown at Quality Meats. It was so much fun to spend my birthday with such great friends! This past weekend is what makes me love living in the city.

 Ashley is planning out which food tent to try first

Take a look at all these choices from all the restaurants!

Flowers from my amazing dad!

Jewels

Between all the fun travels and working, I've stayed consistently busy. In a good way. I'm still working but thought I would share a few of my favorites that will be coming to the website today or tomorrow.

Queen City Weekend

Well, I had another long weekend in the great state of North Carolina. This time in our previous city of Charlotte. The reason was to see our old Charlotte friends as well as our annual Chapel Hill bible study reunion. The weekend was absolutely wonderful. There really is nothing like seeing old friends to make the heart happy. (Not to mention visiting the place the Ben and I met and fell in love.)
Everyone in the group now has kids (with the exception of LB and me being pregnant) so the group has doubled in numbers and noise levels. Which only makes it that much more fun! Instead of going out to eat, we now cookout and play in the park. It's funny how life changes and somehow seems to just get better.

Love front porches with rockers!

Next year everyone will have kids in their arms and hopefully the rest of the group will be there!

Rest in the Holy Land

This past month I have felt like this blog has been my last priority, especially with all the other things going on in my life, not to mention all the traveling taking place. However, after this past weekend I couldn't wait to come home and try to write down the kind of weekend I witnessed. It started with an surprising invitation that came my way about a month and a half ago. The invitation was to attend a "Ladies Farm Forum" in Asheville, NC. This event is put on through a wonderful and generous family as well as The Trinity Forum. My sister had gone once before and Ben had gone to the "guys farm weekend" last August. Needless to say, they both loved it and have talked about it the entire year. So I was beyond excited that I got invited.
Are you asking yourself, what the heck does this "Farm Forum" thing entail? Well, it's somewhat hard to describe since I'm not sure words will do it justice. But I'll try.
To sum it up, it was about fellowship with other women who love Jesus and came together in a place of rest and yet silliness. However, it goes far and beyond just that. We all read the book, The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen before we arrived. We had 3 sessions on the book throughout the weekend. The rest of the weekend was about resting and listening to the words of God and then basically having a big slumber party like you did back when you didn't care about how silly you looked. It was an amazing and beautiful time of freedom, love, acceptance, peace, honesty, raw emotions, and seriously silly and fun girl time. This past weekend will go down in the history books as being one of the best! God is good.

Getting ready for a session on the book

 Their property was gorgeous

 Our setting for every incredible home-cooked meal

 How do you not rest and have fun here?

 Girls gone fishin

 The cow pasture

 We drove around the property in small cars

 Just part of their beautiful land

 Silliness with handbells?! Not even sure how this happened

 Ole!

 It was hard to leave this wonderful place