I left the island!

I had the treat of venturing out of Manhattan not once, but twice, this past weekend. Although the first trip was still in New York City, technically speaking, I think we can all agree that the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG as it is referred to in all of their informational signage and will be hereby referred to in this here blog) remains a worthy respite from a hot, city summer day.


sunny friends on a sunny day!


I was in complete awe of the stunning floral show on display at the BBG - the roses, the lilies, the exotic greenhouse plants.

not found on 58th street

I didn't spy any peonies (my favorite flower) so in its place my favorite flower of the day was absolutely the sacred lotus blossoms growing from floating lilypads in the Japanese garden.

A perfect combination of weird and beautiful, just my taste!

don't those buds look like shower heads?

Amazing.

this greenhouse flower reminded me of a textile!

mellow yellow

Such a reminder that God's creation is approximately infinitely more beautiful than anything we try to pull together.

My second venture off the island took me much further away to the beautiful Rhinebeck, NY for a surprise birthday party my sweet friend Chloe's delightful parents threw for her big 25th. It was such a wonderful evening of friendship and joy - I always look forward to meeting my friends' families and Chloe's is truly incredible. The thought and time they put into organizing a special event for her was heartwarming and I was so glad to be a part of it!

I took zero pictures - woops! - but trust me that the party was elegant, festive, fun, and left me with a terrible headache Sunday.

I capped off my weekend with a dinner of copious amounts of guacamole (too much is never enough), Trader Joe's indian dishes and Pinkberry with two of my best friends from high school. Being able to share time with these two unbelievable, hilarious, inspiring, encouraging ladies in New York was such a treat and left me with a very happy heart.

This past weekend was so overabundantly joyful that you better believe I was left with a July 5th feeling yesterday. I cured this with the classic documentary musical "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," shown for free as part of the HBO Film Festival series in Bryant Park!

Diamonds are a girl's best friend

The only slightly unpleasant aspect of that show was the hooligan sitting next to us, sporting a mullet and chain smoking. First of all, that's illegal in New York parks. Second of all, ew.

Hope your weekend was just as lovely and your week is going swimmingly!