Friday's Simply Smitten - Blush & Blooms

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“Do not lose hope. Please believe that there are a thousand beautiful things waiting for you.”

-R.M. Drake

Happy Friday! We went from hurricane to heatwave here in New York City. I am waiting patiently for the cool, crisp days. The older I get, the more I appreciate the colder seasons. Not having to be out in the heat, sweating. Still I would choose my summer dresses over chunky sweaters and boots any day.

This past week was a celebration. It was my birthday! Another trip around the sun. I have to be honest and admit I was (am) having a hard time turning another year older. I do love the life I have and the person that I am, but I also am not where I thought I would be at this age. As I shed a few tears on the phone to my mom, she simply reminded me that 1. I am still young (ha!) and 2. God’s timing, not my timing. That there is still so much ahead of me. I don’t know what tomorrow brings. Everything could change for me in a week, a month, or 5 years. I am someone who is pretty optimistic about life, but I do have my dark days. As we all do. I have to learn to sit back and trust God. Knowing what is meant for me is already on its way. And of course to count my blessings, which I do everyday anyway. I keep thinking of the bible verse from Thessalonians 5:16- 18 NLT: “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances.” It’s a reminder to never give up hope for the future while being grateful for what you have. I think 36 is going to be the best year yet! Everything that I have been going through and feeling is preparing me for the many blessings God has in store for me. I have to believe that these blessings are almost here.

But besides feeling a little down I did have a wonderful birthday. My parents were in town last weekend visiting. We went to the new Boucherie in midtown for dinner. The food is really good and I love the Parisian atmosphere. I have to say that the layout of the restaurant is a little weird. It feels like you are eating in a mall. There were people cutting through to get to either the hotel or to the street as it is an open area. I don’t know if it is because of Covid and this is their way of dining outdoors. No one was really eating inside and there was an entire upstairs area that was empty. It didn’t take away from the evening, just a little different that is all.

Saturday we traveled over to Brooklyn for brunch. It was my parents first time being in Brooklyn. We had brunch at Pilot. You dine on this cute ship. It has a great view of downtown Manhattan. It would make for a great date night location. The food is amazing as well. After brunch we walked along the river to Dumbo to the Empire Stores and Jane’s carousel. Then we took the train over to Williamsburg. Which my parents were not a fan of…. lol! We decided to cut our Brooklyn exploration short and headed back into the city. We walked around West Village and I took them to my favorite music store, The Music Inn. That night we were all really tired and hot so we had dinner at The Grey Dog.

On my birthday I decided to treat myself with a 60-minute massage. It’s been way too long since I have had one and what better time to do it than on your birthday. I went to the Rescue Spa by Union Square. It was my first time there and it will not be my last. Hands down one of the best massages of my life. I had the classic Swedish massage but it felt more like a deep tissue/ medical massage. Thomas, my masseuse, did an incredible job. I felt so good afterwards; rejuvenated and relaxed. After my massage I read my book for a while and then at night had ice cream to celebrate. All in all it was a nice birthday. Thank you to everyone who sent me wishes! I do feel incredibly loved and incredibly lucky!

What I am watching: Bachelor in Paradise is back!! This is hands down my favorite of the Bachelor franchise. I prefer to watch multiple relationships grow more than only watching one. BIP is somewhat more realistic to the dating world. I don’t know anyone who dates 30 people at once. We do, however, all talk to a few people at once, testing each other out. I think it was Jared Fried to compared it to real life Tinder. And that is true for the most part. BIP still has a faster timeline than us normal people; most of us are not getting engaged to the person we just met after 3 weeks. But hey, it does work! I think BIP has more success stories than the Bachelor and Bachelorette combined (could be wrong about Bachelorette). Plus it’s much more entertaining to see the people from different seasons interact. I am already rooting for a few relationships; Abigail and Noah, Ivan and Jessenia, Riley and Maurissa. As of now…. we will see what happens in the future.

What I bought: On a whim I bought this black bubble sleeve smock top. I was doing my usually browsing and stumbled upon it in white. Then I saw that it came in black and decided to get it instead….. because one can never have too many black tops or white tops for that matter. I figured I should start buying tops to go out in for the fall and winter and this black top looks like a great go-to outfit choice.

This weekend I have nothing planned. I was suppose to go to the Hamptons but the trip didn’t work out. Which sucks because I haven’t been there all summer. Usually I take a trip or two out there. I haven’t been to the Hamptons since 2019, maybe 2018. Oh well! I am sure I will get out there sooner than later. I do enjoy summertime in the city. Anyway, this weekend it may rain which would be such a bummer. Tired of being stuck at home due to the rain. Hopefully it does not rain all weekend long as I would love to go for a run at some point– at least get out of the apartment. Other than the usual weekend plans, I am going to go wherever my feet take me.

Have a wonderful weekend

1. The first teaser for Spencer has been released

2. Love this pretty floral dress for fall

3. This dusty mint color is beautiful

4. A classic twist cuff

5. A history of Carolina Herrera in her own words

6. What books to read before they become movies

7. Entertaining ides for the US Open

8. Swooning over Monique Lhuillier spring 2022 RTW collection

9. The history of the priceless iconic Tiffany diamond

10. Loving these cute fall date ideas

Sales happening this weekend