Happy Birthday Mochie with Biscuits & Fried Chicken!

It is a very special day today (well April 30th at least).

Today is the birthday of Mr. Bryan "Mochie" Mochizuki. 

Mochie is the male version of a "Fran". We love him like family and were excited to get to celebrate him at a birthday brunch the beautiful Hannah planned (aka Fran aka his girlfriend aka one of my best friends). 

It was a clashing of the clans as Hannah brought together friends from both sides of their relationship. Overall, it was wonderful to get to put faces to the names we have heard so much about. 

Hannah picked Back Forty West as the brunch spot. Back Forty has locations in the East Village as well as Soho. It is a farm-to-table American cuisine restaurant with a southern flare. The East location has an awesome outdoor dining space, perfect for those summer nights. The West location has a farm house feel and a sunlight second floor.

Hannah arranged a family style four course meal for the thirteen person birthday brunch. 

Had to get a shot of Hannah & the "birthday boy" looking stunning as always. 

Hey! That's my Fran.

Cheers to Mochie! Back Forty has a unique wine selection and really great cocktails.

First out...Sticky Buns & Biscuits.

Next, came the greens...Watercress Salad with apple and radish.

Now for the protein...Fried Chicken and make your own Sliders on biscuits. Yes, you heard that right...more biscuits.

Needless to say, once dessert got to the table, we were stuffed. But, not too full to sing Happy Birthday at the top of our lungs.

They brought out Cappuccino Creme Brulee and Chocolate Mousse.

Not ready to call it quits, we sauntered through Soho into Nolita.

We ended up at The Wren. I love bars like The Wren because they are what I call "fancy casual". The crowd and decor are a bit posh, but the atmosphere is very chill. The same group that owns The Wren also owns a few of my other favorites - Wilfie & Nell and The Penrose.

Mer & I were excited that they had a bottle of orange wine from Channing Daughters. This Ramato is one funky wine, but it tastes great and makes me nostalgic for wine tasting in the Hamptons during the summer. Can't wait to head out there again soon!!

Love these two. Happy Birthday Mochie. Cheers to many many many more to come.

xoxo

Fran

Blue Skies, Brooklyn, St. Balmain & Some Babes

Days off. 

Days off from work are few and far between for me. 

I love them.

This particular day off was the best of the best. After a luxurious sleep in, Mer and I headed out to Brooklyn for a lazy day in the sun at St. Balmain. I had planned to catch up with my friend (and past featured World Changer) Diane, so we all convened in Williamsburg.

The sun was out, and the back deck of St. Balmain was bustling with people. 

I love that when I catch up with Diane, I also get to hangout with her son Levi. He is the most incredible little person and will totally be a famous drummer someday. 

Diane got the Breakfast Sandwich.

I had the Green Breakfast Bowl...

...and then the Hipster Brownie.

Levi was a constant source of energy and entertainment for everyone hanging at St. Balmain.

Diane and I decided to take some really awesome "Prom" shots. I love friends that you can laugh a lot with and just be yourself.

Enjoy.

Levi has an obsession with Superman, so he was ready to go when Steve picked him up to fly.

After sunning at St. Balmain, we wandered over to the Williamsburg waterfront. Mer perched on a picnic table for a lounge in the sun.

I decided to join for a bit.

Then Levi wanted to play. He affectionately nicknamed Meredith "Mary"... "Hey Mary!"

Levi then decided to run around in the grass. Shoes off and straight into the mud. Totally kid style, but look at that view!

I decided to take advantage of Diane's amazing photography skills. Check out her company Spanglish Studios.

That NYC skyline is just the best...especially on a crystal clear blue sky day.

(lazy day look - jeans: Loft / t-shirt dress: ASOS / ballet flats: JCrew / scarf: H&M)

Days like this are so refreshing. It is important to take moments to rest, relax and refill. Living in New York is busy. It is non stop and people are pulling at you in millions of directions. But, strong community and understanding how you can refresh are key to fullness and survival. Praying you all have the best week ever. 

xoxo