Friday's Simply Smitten - Blush & Blooms

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“The first and biggest step is believing the life you want is possible”

-Anon

Happy Friday and happy Labor Day Weekend! Are you going anywhere fun for the 3-day weekend? I am staying here in New York and enjoying life in the city.

Last weekend my parents were in town to celebrate my birthday. Friday evening we went to the newly renovated Café Chelsea located in the Hotel Chelsea. The Hotel Chelsea, for those of you who do not know, holds a lot of history. It used to be an apartment complex, a haven really, for artists back in the day. Anyone from Mark Twain to Madonna lived there at one point. Sometime in the last 15 years they turned it into a hotel, although there are about 40 residents that still live there. This was my first time in the Hotel Chelsea and I hope to do a staycation there one day. I just love the history of the hotel. I also love that they kept the essence, the bohemian spirit, of its history as its foyer is draped in art.

Anyway, Café Chelsea is a must. The food was delicious and the staff was so kind and personable. I had the poulet rôti – the rotisserie chicken. Very delicious! The cafe has a few rooms, each decorated differently. You can go there for food or you can hit up the lobby bar for drinks. I highly recommend going!

The next day we went to brunch at The Empire Diner in Chelsea. I have been wanting to go to this diner for a while. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. I had the best omelette of my life. Get it with the avocado. I am still thinking about it. Anyway, the diner has been around since the 40s but has undergone changes of the restaurant name and ownership, as well as a some modern upgrades. After brunch we went back to my apartment so my dad could help me put my tv console back together and to put up a shelf on the wall. I was able to get the heavy tv stand down (resulting in a few bruises haha), but wasn’t able to lift it up. I still need some decor to put on top of the shelf, but I am so happy with the changes I made. With repainting my mirror and my console, my apartment feels brighter and happier.

After redecorating my apartment we headed over to the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum. The Tate’s love a good historical outing. The museum was really interesting. We first looked at the aircrafts that ranged from WWll to Vietnam. One of the planes was used in the first Top Gun movie. After looking at the planes we walked through the inside of the ship. My grandfather was in the Navy during World War ll, so I like to get somewhat of an idea of what he went through during that time period. He never talked about it. Personally, I could not survive living on a ship, or going to war for that matter. After we learned the inner workings of the Intrepid and those that have served on the ship, we went inside to the space museum. I didn’t realized that Navy ships were also used to collect parts of the space ship once they land in the ocean. It makes sense, but I never thought about it. I enjoyed the museum and glad we were able to experience it.

Saturday night we went uptown to see the Tony Award winning musical Some Like It Hot. It was incredible! Absolutely fantastic!! One of the best Broadway shows I have ever seen. The music, the acting, the songs, the dancing– all phenomenal. The show is hysterical, I was crying laughing at so many parts! It’s truly a must see! Also the guy from the tv show SMASH, Christian Borle, plays Joe/Josephine. His performance blew me away! All of them did really! Although prior to the show I was familiar with the original movie with Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon, I actually have never seen it. It is now my watch list.

Monday I took the day off to go to the US Open. It has become a tradition for me over the years to attend the first day of the US Open at noon. I always go to the Arthur Ash Stadium because I know I will see the top players. This year I saw the women’s #1 Iga Swiatek dominate the court. There is a reason why she is currently number 1, she is amazing! She was quick and strong. The other player, Rebecca Peterson, only won 1 game. I felt bad for her, but Iga is that good! I really enjoyed watching her. Next I saw Frances Tiafoe win in 3 sets to Learner Tien. Tiafoe has become one of my favorite men’s players. I enjoy watching him and was happy I got to see him live in action. The US Open is always so enjoyable. I sit back, drink my honey deuce, eat popcorn, and enjoy a few matches.

The rest of my week was mostly about catching up on work and crossing things off my to-do list. I went to my usual Tuesday morning DanceBody class. We are now into the 3rd and final month of Q3 dances. They have switched up the music and we are dancing our little hearts out.

What I am watching: I am continuing to watch the US Open. I am rooting for Tiafoe to win or at least go far! I know it will probably get down to Djokovic and Alcaraz, but you never know! Anything can happen! I was sad to see my favorite player, Andy Murray, lose! It was also sad to see the end of Isner’s career. I teared up a little watching his post-match interview. For women’s I am rooting for Iga all the way! Other players I really like are Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, and Coco Gauff.

One of my favorite shows, Sweet Magnolias, is back for season 3. I really love this show! It has a wholesome feel to it like a Hallmark movie. I love the small-town camaraderie; how they are all there for each other. I also really like the religious aspect of the show. And I love the friendship between Maddie, Dana Sue, and Helen. The show is on Netflix if you want to check it out.

What I bought: The most important thing I bought this past week was tickets to see the Eras Tour movie in theaters. I may not be able to see Taylor live (as of now), but I will for sure go to the theater and pretend I am at the concert in person. I can’t wait! We are still sharing friendship bracelets right?

Besides being a crazy Taylor Swift fan I bought a new white t-shirt. I have a few but they have seen better days and I needed a new one. I got this fitted white shirt — currently on sale and under $40. Next I bought a new pair of jeans. I bought this high rise wide-legged pair in brick lane wash– currently on sale!! I wanted a darker color denim. I actually have these denim pants in white, so I already know I love the fit. I had to size down so am wearing a size 26 instead of my usual 27. Next I bought this pink beaded necklace. Beaded necklaces are a big trend right now. I wanted to get one, but also not break the bank for a trend. This one is on sale for $16.

Last but not least I bought this woven lidded basket for storage. I am thinking of returning it. Not because I do not like it, but because I got the medium size and may want to get a bigger size one. My original thought was to put my needlepoint crafts in it, but now I am thinking I want to put the clothing items that I am trying to sell in it. I have those in a bag in my closet and I absolutely hate it. I can always put my needlepoint stuff in one of the other million storage baskets I own.

On The Blog

Sunday Shopping

The Everyday Shirtdress

LTK Spotlight: J.Crew fall sale picks

Top Seller: This tweed jacket

This weekend, as mentioned, I have nothing planned. I will probably watch The Ohio State game and continue to watch the US Open. I also need to go get a new book. I will probably frolic around, go for a run, and maybe lay out in the park.

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend xo

1. Touring the set of Only Murders In The Building

2. A pretty floral dress

3. The perfect party shoes for the fall and winter

4. A gorgeous embroidered top

5. Enjoyed this interview with the founders of Cara Cara

6. Meg Ryan talks to Carol Burnett

7. The art of mismatched bridesmaid dressing

8. 30 ways to romanticize your life for fall

9. Breathing exercises for stress and instant calm

10. The history of why you can’t wear white after Labor Day

Labor Day Sales